UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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Portrait of a man

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1924.637)
Number: 73
Date: 1860
Medium: drypoint
Size: 229 x 154 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' at lower left
Inscribed: '1860.'
Set/Publication: 'Cancelled Plates', 1879
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 30
Catalogues: K.63; M.63; T.72; W.58
Impressions taken from this plate  (30)
Etching: PK063_01
Recto, above; verso, below:
Etching: PK063_02
The copper plate bears the rectangular stamp of 'HUGHES & KIMBER / MANUFACTURERS/ RED LION SQUARE / FLEET STREET / LONDON'. The same stamp appears on three London plates of 1859 of the same size, Thames Police 053, Stevens' Boat Yard 056, Black Lion Wharf 054 and several portraits, all of 1859-1860 (Z. Astruc, Editor of 'L'Artiste' 036, Whistler with a hat 044, Fumette's Bent Head 058, Venus 060, Arthur Haden 066, Axenfeld 068 and Riault (The Wood Engraver) 069).
In 1872 an exhibition at the opening of the Guildhall Library and Museum of engraved portraits from the collection of James Anderson Rose (1819-1890) included portraits by Whistler, described as 'Nine portraits etched in copper - very rare - plates destroyed'. 28 Candidates for these nine portraits include Auguste Delātre, Printer 028, Whistler with a hat 044, C. L. Drouet, Sculptor 035, Finette 061, Z. Astruc, Editor of 'L'Artiste' 036, Arthur Haden 066, Mr Mann 073, Riault (The Wood Engraver) 069 and Axenfeld 068. Other possibilities include Greenwich Pensioner 040, Bibi Valentin 034, Bibi Lalouette 033 and Fumette standing 059.

28: Cat. nos. 960-68.

The copper plate was cancelled with crossed diagonal and zig-zag lines, particularly over the face. The plate was certainly cancelled by 1879 and was probably among plates bought at Whistler's bankruptcy sale by the Fine Art Society, London. It was published in an album of Cancelled Plates ('Cancelled Set') by The Fine Art Society, London, 1879.
The plate was probably among those acquired from Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851), by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) in exchange for lithographs. 29 The plate was given by Miss Birnie Philip to the University of Glasgow in 1935.

29: Note by R. Birnie Philip, inserted in the album, Hunterian Art Gallery.