Little Salute |  Freer Gallery of Art (1889.23) | |
| Number: | 210 | |
| Date: | 1879/1880 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 82 x 210 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower right (3) | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 3 | |
| Known impressions: | 10 | |
| Catalogues: | K.220; M.217; W.190 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (10) | ||
TECHNIQUE
The plate was executed in pure drypoint.
PRINTING
The first state of Little Salute was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (
). There is an impression of the third state in brown ink on light-weight off-white laid paper (), but most were printed in black on ivory laid paper (i.e. , , ), and one is on a sheet with a crown watermark that was taken from a book (). Generally they are printed with a light film of ink tone across the sky and water, one for instance with delicate vertical wiping (), but another, perhaps over-inked, with blotchy, watery tone ().
). There is an impression of the third state in brown ink on light-weight off-white laid paper (), but most were printed in black on ivory laid paper (i.e. , , ), and one is on a sheet with a crown watermark that was taken from a book (). Generally they are printed with a light film of ink tone across the sky and water, one for instance with delicate vertical wiping (), but another, perhaps over-inked, with blotchy, watery tone ().There was probably a limited print-run of at least 12 impressions. All but one (), are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them. The unsigned one was printed without surface tone, and it is possible it was printed by another printer or assistant to the artist.
), are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them. The unsigned one was printed without surface tone, and it is possible it was printed by another printer or assistant to the artist.