The Little Mast |  Art Institute of Chicago (1934.600) | |
| Number: | 196 | |
| Date: | 1879/1880 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 269 x 189 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | 'First Venice Set', 1880 | |
| No. of States: | 8 | |
| Known impressions: | 50 | |
| Catalogues: | K.185; M.182; W.151 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (50) | ||
STATE
Eight states are known before cancellation.
State 1
Signed with a butterfly at upper right.
A partially drawn woman stands at left of the two dogs (or cats); drypoint burr darkens most other figures at left; three figures are seated in the distance, just to right of the buildings at left; remnants of figures are visible among the paving stones to left of the four children in the foreground; another figure and a hat are faintly visible to left of and above the two seated figures at lower right; there are many scratches on the sky, most notably a curved scratch above the bridge at centre.
State 2
The partially drawn woman standing to left of the two animals is removed, along with two vertical lines to her left; drypoint burr is reduced, lightening the remaining figures at left and removing shading between them; the middle figure in the distance, to right of the buildings at left, is indistinct; remnants of figures among the paving stones at lower centre and the figure and hat by the seated figures at right are almost completely removed; scratches on the sky are removed; very fine drypoint faintly outlines a lower bank of cloud to right of the sail in the middleground; new shading or foul biting appears above the group of children and at the left edge of the dark shadow by the building at right.
State 3
The middle figure in the distance now appears to stand, facing left; the diagonal band of shading on the pavement to right of the standing children is widened with a series of short lines on its right.
State 4
The middle figure in the distance is removed or worn away; dark shading at upper left on the sail in the middleground is removed; fine drypoint outlining a lower bank of cloud to the right of the sail is removed or worn away; the short lines widening the diagonal band of shading on the pavement to the right of the standing children are removed, but remnants are visible on some impressions.
State 5
A new band of shading is added to the left side of the sail in the middleground; short, fine vertical shading is added to the water below the buildings in the distance; facial features are added to the three tallest children in the foreground; patches of light foul biting appear at right over the shaded areas of the wall and the pavement beneath it.
State 6
There are tiny additions to the head of the shortest standing child in the foreground; the foul biting at right is more pronounced and extends over more of the wall and the pavement as well as the seated and standing figures.
State 7
There are slight alterations to the faces and hair of the children in the foreground, most notably on the shortest standing child, who now appears to have ears or curls.
State 8
New work strengthens and darkens the hair and facial features of the three tallest children in the foreground; the shortest standing child now appears to wear a cap; new shading is added to the upper left tip of the sail in the middleground, and fine lines darken the masts of the ship to its left and the small ship to its right, in the background.
State 8 (cancelled a)
Cancelled with two diagonal lines above an 'X'.
State 8 (cancelled b)
Further cancelled with a large butterfly surrounded by radiating lines.