Cottage Door |  Freer Gallery of Art (1888.1) | |
| Number: | 252 | |
| Date: | 1886 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 68 x 100 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 8 | |
| Catalogues: | K.250; M.246; W.204 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (8) | ||
TECHNIQUE
Whistler drew this lively group with expressive broken etched lines, adding regular shading, zigzag shading, and elaborate cross-hatching in the background. Finally he delicately clarified details of the figures and the area surrounding the figures with fine drypoint.
PRINTING
There may have been a limited print run of less than ten impressions. A printing record by Whistler and his unidentified assistants records two impressions of 'Cottage Door' printed on 16 May and three on 4 September 1887. 15
15: [8 February-29 September 1887], GUW #12716.
One first state is in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper (
). Most are printed in black ink, with very light tone, on ivory laid paper, and trimmed to the platemark, leaving a tab for the butterfly and 'imp' to show that Whistler had printed them (, ) to show that Whistler printed them.
). Most are printed in black ink, with very light tone, on ivory laid paper, and trimmed to the platemark, leaving a tab for the butterfly and 'imp' to show that Whistler had printed them (, ) to show that Whistler printed them.