Troopships |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46956) | |
| Number: | 307 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 128 x 178 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 13 | |
| Catalogues: | K.319; M.314; W.238 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (13) | ||
TECHNIQUE
Troopships is mainly etched with minor drypoint additions at the horizon and on two ships' hulls.
PRINTING
Whistler inscribed one impression '1st. Proof -' (
). It is a good, clear impression on off-white laid paper with a partial watermark, printed in black ink with light tone, the ink appearing a slightly warm black, close to dark brown on this paper.
). It is a good, clear impression on off-white laid paper with a partial watermark, printed in black ink with light tone, the ink appearing a slightly warm black, close to dark brown on this paper. The record of printing of the 'Naval Review Set' is exceptionally full. Eight impressions of 'The Troopships' were printed by 19 August 1887, and nine on 25 August; the list records thirteen on 1 September, but this may be a record of the number then in stock, since a note adds that at least thirteen (there was a query about another one) were still in stock on 26 September. By 1890 or 1891, another stock-taking revealed eight unmounted and two mounted impressions still in the studio. 10 Whistler sold few after this date, so that five impressions, all subtly different in their printing and wiping, came with the artist's estate to the University of Glasgow (see for example, , ).
, ).Early impressions are in black ink on off-white (, ) and cream () laid paper.
, ) and cream () laid paper.The second state was printed in a slightly wider range of paper and ink with light, delicately wiped surface tone. They are in brown ink on buff laid paper (); in dark brown ink on ivory and off-white laid paper (, ) and possibly Asian laid paper (); and one - the impression included in Queen Victoria's album - in dark brown ink on medium-weight 'antique' (pre-1800) laid watermarked paper, possibly a partial Arms of Amsterdam watermark (). In addition several are in black ink on ivory laid paper (, , ). The majority are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.
); in dark brown ink on ivory and off-white laid paper (, ) and possibly Asian laid paper (); and one - the impression included in Queen Victoria's album - in dark brown ink on medium-weight 'antique' (pre-1800) laid watermarked paper, possibly a partial Arms of Amsterdam watermark (). In addition several are in black ink on ivory laid paper (, , ). The majority are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.