The Letter (Maud, seated) |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.346) | |
| Number: | 116 | |
| Date: | 1873 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 140 x 101 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 5 | |
| Known impressions: | 8 | |
| Catalogues: | K.115; M.114; W.100 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (8) | ||
STATE
Five states are known before cancellation.
State 1
Signed with a butterfly near the left edge, just above centre.
State 2
Slanting lines augment the shadows behind the figure at right; a small space just below and to right of the butterfly is filled with crossed vertical and horizontal lines.
State 3
The head and hair are reworked; four or more left to right (\\\) and slightly curving diagonals are added above the woman's left eye (slightly obscured by burr) replacing worn shading in that area; there may be some short retouched lines among the ruffles at the sitter's neckline; vertical lines are added in the background at right.
State 4
The head is redrawn, it is smaller, rounder, and is more tilted; a few additional folds are added on the skirt, and light shading down the back of the figure; short vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines are added in the background to left of the figure, and horizontal shading at right.
State 5
Not reproduced.
New vertical lines are added above the butterfly.
No impression of the fifth state has been located. It is known only from the cancelled plate, an impression of which is reproduced below.
State 5 (cancelled)
Cancelled with scraping and burnishing over the figure.