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Church Interior

Impression: Whistler Etchings Project
Whistler Etchings Project
(-)
Number: 427
Date: 1888/1894
Medium: unbitten; drawn with an etching needle through ground, which is partly removed
Size: 83 x 201 mm
Signed: butterfly at upper right
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 1
Known impressions: 1
Catalogues: K.-; M.-; T.-; W.-
Impressions taken from this plate  (1)
Etching: PE40_01
The copper plate bears the maker's oval stamp: 'C. SERVANT / PLANEUR / 45, B DES GDS AUGUSTINS'. This stamp is found on only a few plates, dating from between 1888 and 1901, namely A building with an arched window 476, Sunflowers, Marché St Germain, Paris 437, Polichinelle, Jardin du Luxembourg 467, The Band, Luxembourg Gardens 466, Under the Statue, Luxembourg Gardens 464, Confections pour Dames 475, Antony's Print Shop, Rue de Seine 477, Arched doorway with figures and a tree 489, Mme Pelletier, Blanchisserie, Paris 481, Boulevard Poissonière, Paris 483, Café Corazza, Paris 484, Sleeping Child, Ajaccio 488, Flaming Forge 490.
Church Interior is by far the smallest of these plates, and is actually close in size to several unstamped plates showing Paris subjects -- Marchand de Vin, Paris 438, Newspaper-Stall, Rue de Seine 474 and The Pantheon from the Terrace, Luxembourg Gardens 473 - which may date from slightly later. These plates are not available for comparison, but it is possible they were also acquired from Servant.
The copper plate was in Whistler's studio at his death in 1903, and was given by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to the University of Glasgow in 1935. The acid resistant ground was partially removed at some time between 1935 and 1965 and an unsuccesful attempt was made to print from the unetched plate. The remaining ground was scratched and doodled on by some unknown person (s), who presumably did not realise that they were damaging the remaining traces of Whistler's work. 'Katy', 'MY OH MY' and ;YO! DUD' are among these graffiti.