Fish Shop, Chelsea |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46623) | |
| Number: | 267 | |
| Date: | 1886 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 141 x 218 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 22 | |
| Catalogues: | K.264; M.259; W.214 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (22) | ||
TECHNIQUE
It is mostly etching, with a little drypoint shading in the second state, on the figure in the shop, and at the top of the dark doorway at right.
PRINTING
In addition to the fifty impressions printed for the Society of British Artists in 1886, Whistler kept some proofs and perhaps some earlier impressions. By no means all these impressions have been located, and it is presumed that a large number are still in private collections.
Messrs Dowdeswell, after consulting the newly published catalogue by Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), requested impressions of a number of etchings including Fish Shop, Chelsea in February 1887, but it is not certain that Whistler filled this order. 16 Three impressions of 'Little Chelsea Fish shop -' sold to Dowdeswell's on 27 July 1887 may have been this or Little Maunder's [273]. 17
In July 1889 Whistler wrote that he had five impressions of 'Chelsea Fish Shop' in stock. 18
The main edition occurred in the first state, which was printed in various shades of ink and on a variety of papers, including dark brown ink on ivory laid paper (
, , ); ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper with a partial horned crown watermark (); buff laid paper () and beige paper with 'PRO PATRIA AS' and lion watermark (). Two impressions are on 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper with the watermark of a heart and 'S. WISE & co / 1823' (, ). Several are in black ink, on off-white laid (), tan laid with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark () and ivory laid paper ().
In July 1889 Whistler wrote that he had five impressions of 'Chelsea Fish Shop' in stock. 18
The main edition occurred in the first state, which was printed in various shades of ink and on a variety of papers, including dark brown ink on ivory laid paper (
, , ); ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper with a partial horned crown watermark (); buff laid paper () and beige paper with 'PRO PATRIA AS' and lion watermark (). Two impressions are on 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper with the watermark of a heart and 'S. WISE & co / 1823' (, ). Several are in black ink, on off-white laid (), tan laid with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark () and ivory laid paper ().There are very few impressions of the second state. One was printed in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper () and another on off-white light-weight 'antique' laid with crowned shield and hunting horn watermark ().
) and another on off-white light-weight 'antique' laid with crowned shield and hunting horn watermark ().