The Boy (Charlie Hanson) |  Freer Gallery of Art (1893.91) | |
| Number: | 145 | |
| Date: | 1875/1876 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 226 x 150 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at left (2-final) | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 8 | |
| Known impressions: | 12 | |
| Catalogues: | K.135; M.133; W.109 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (12) | ||
STATE
Eight states are known before cancellation.
State 1
There is no signature or inscription.
The composition is complete. There is the faint outline of an earlier head upside down between the boy's feet.
State 2
Signed with a butterfly near the left edge, above centre.
Short vertical lines are added in the background immediately above the head, and numerous diagonal lines on the right side of the figure and in the shadows to right, enhancing and extending existing lines.
State 3
Wide spaced vertical lines are added on each side of and below the butterfly; a new wavy row of short upright irregular lines is over the head; slanting lines are added on his right knee; a patch of diagonal shading is added to right of the head.
State 4
There is additional shading on the boy's left shoulder; a patch of short diagonal lines is added between vertical and diagonal lines near the edge of the shading to right of the head, and a few lines are added nearer the head.
State 5
A number of light, almost horizontal lines cross the angular white space in the existing shading at lower right; diagonal shading is added on his left thigh and longer diagonal lines extend the background shadow at lower right.
State 6
There is more work on the hair, which is extended over his shoulder at left; vertical drypoint lines strengthen the shading at upper right; diagonal lines are added between the legs.
The impression reproduced above was printed with strong surface tone at right.
State 7
A series of short horizontal lines run from the head and chest, in the left background; diagonal and zigzag lines extend the shadow in the right background to the right and bottom of the plate; bold curving lines go right across the body; a few uneven vertical lines are added under the seat at left.
The impression reproduced above was printed with dramatic surface tone, which blends with the drypoint burr at right. Another impression, reproduced below, was worked over extensively in wash but the suggested changes were never made.
State 8
The area below the butterfly has been burnished or worn down; elsewhere, the marks of the burnisher are noticeable; the plate is much worn.
State 8 (cancelled)
Cancelled with one diagonal line.
No impression from the cancelled plate is known. This is a digital image based on the copper plate. 6
No impression from the cancelled plate is known. This is a digital image based on the copper plate. 6
6: A scan of the copper plate was flipped horizontally, converted to greyscale, and colour inverted, with enhanced contrast.