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Fanny Leyland

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1927.5946)
Number: 135
Date: 1874
Medium: drypoint
Size: 197 x 134 mm
Signed: butterfly at left (2-final)
Inscribed: 'Fanny Leyland' at upper left
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 6
Known impressions: 12
Catalogues: K.108; M.107; T.77; W.94
Impressions taken from this plate  (12)

TECHNIQUE

This is pure drypoint, drawn very fully and delicately at the beginning, with later changes mainly to the position and pose of the foot, plus areas of shading in the background drawn with long lines, and patches of shading on the dress and hair, drawn with much shorter lines. As the drypoint wore down some of the shading was reinforced with new shading and outlines.

PRINTING

There are a few impressions of each of the six states. The first state was printed in black ink on thin cream Japanese paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080102, Graphic with a link to impression #K1080103). Subsequent impressions varied in inking and paper, including a third state printed in black ink on ivory Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080301) and fourth states, also in black ink, on heavier, firm Japan paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080403) and ivory laid paper taken from a book (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080402) as well as in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080404).
Late impressions are in black ink on off-white laid paper also from a book, with an old pen inscription - possibly Dutch - on the verso (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080602) and in dark brown ink on ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K1080203).
In 1931 Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) was asked by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to try and print from the plate. On 18 June 1931 he noted 'Four proofs taken, one cut to the margins - paper from his book / Plate greatly worne [sic], practically no burr remains- ' 12 No signed impressions by Sparks have been located and it is possible that they were destroyed.

12: Martin Hopkinson, 'Nathaniel Sparks's Printing of Whistler's Etchings', Print Quarterly, 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 340, 342, 349.