Doorway, Gray's Inn |  Colby College Museum of Art, Maine (2013.335) | |
| Number: | 289 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 96 x 134 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 3 | |
| Known impressions: | 2 | |
| Catalogues: | K.300; M.294 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (2) | ||
PUBLICATION
Doorway, Gray's Inn was not published. However, it forms one of Whistler's unpublished but clearly defined 'Grey's Inn Set'.
EXHIBITIONS
It was only exhibited once in Whistler's lifetime, an impression being lent by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) to the exhibition organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 (
). 6
). 6 6: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 242).
SALES & COLLECTORS
The etching is very rare. Very few impressions were sold by Whistler. An impression was apparently sold to the Fine Art Society, London, in late October 1887 or 1888 for £10.10.0. 7 This was very expensive for a fairly minimal etching, but it was known to be rare and the subject, being a recogniseable place, with lively figures, was appealing.
Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), bought an impression of the first state in 1888 (). This was probably the same as that sold by Whistler to Wunderlich's of New York on 3 May 1888 for £10.10.0, less 20% discount. 8 Wunderlich's bought another of unspecified state on 11 April 1889 for £8.8.0, and possibly another impression in 1900 for £6.6.0 (referred to as 'Children playing (Gray's Inn Doorway)'. 9
In 1910 Mansfield, who only recorded one state of the etching, noted that he knew of three impressions, in his own collection () and those of John Caldwell (fl. 1887-1907) () and Freer.
Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), bought an impression of the first state in 1888 (
). This was probably the same as that sold by Whistler to Wunderlich's of New York on 3 May 1888 for £10.10.0, less 20% discount. 8 Wunderlich's bought another of unspecified state on 11 April 1889 for £8.8.0, and possibly another impression in 1900 for £6.6.0 (referred to as 'Children playing (Gray's Inn Doorway)'. 9 In 1910 Mansfield, who only recorded one state of the etching, noted that he knew of three impressions, in his own collection (
) and those of John Caldwell (fl. 1887-1907) () and Freer.