The Doorway |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46816) | |
| Number: | 193 | |
| Date: | 1879/1880 | |
| Medium: | etching, drypoint and roulette | |
| Size: | 295 x 204 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | 'First Venice Set', 1880 | |
| No. of States: | 20 | |
| Known impressions: | 66 | |
| Catalogues: | K.188; M.185; W.154 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (66) | ||
The copper plate is close in size to The Two Doorways [221]. Both plates are stamped on the verso with the maker's oval stamp, 'HUGHES & KIMBER (LIMITED) / MANUFACTURERS / LONDON E.C.' Both were brought by Whistler from London to fulfil the Fine Art Society's commission for a set of twelve etchings, and were published in Venice, a Series of Twelve Etchings (the 'First Venice Set') in 1880.
The printing of the edition was not completed in Whistler's lifetime. The copper plate was bequeathed with Whistler's estate to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who arranged for the edition to be completed by Frederick Goulding (1842-1909). The plate was then cancelled with three left to right diagonal lines (\\\) and an additional short diagonal scratch at lower left. Miss Philip gave the cancelled plate to the University of Glasgow in 1935.