The Market Place, Tours |  Freer Gallery of Art (1889.10) | |
| Number: | 388 | |
| Date: | 1888 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 271 x 136 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 3 | |
| Catalogues: | K.374; M.374 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (3) | ||
TECHNIQUE
The plate for The Market Place, Tours, was executed in pure etching. The composition fills the plate horizontally but leaves open space at the top and bottom. It was drawn carefully, with a variety of short lines, some hooked, slightly curving or angular, describing the figures. Serried ranks of short slightly curved lines indicate roof tiles and rows of cobbles, with a few zigzags and small irregular patches of cross-hatching for the deepest shadows in the windows and under the eaves.
PRINTING
Only three impressions have been located. The first proof is in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper removed from a book. Others are in brown ink on ivory laid (
) and black on cream laid paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.
) and black on cream laid paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.