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Riault (The Wood Engraver)

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1898.305)
Number: 69
Date: 1860
Medium: drypoint
Size: 230 x 154 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' at lower right
Inscribed: '1860.' at lower right
Set/Publication: 'Cancelled Plates', 1879
No. of States: 4
Known impressions: 22
Catalogues: K.65; M.65; T.58; W.62
Impressions taken from this plate  (22)
Etching: PK065_01
The copper plate bears the rectangular stamp of 'HUGHES & KIMBER / MANUFACTURERS/ RED LION SQUARE / FLEET STREET / LONDON'. The same stamp appears on three Thames plates of 1859 of the same size, Thames Police 053, Stevens' Boat Yard 056 and Black Lion Wharf 054 and on several portraits, all of 1859-1860. 15

The copper plate was cancelled with deep diagonal lines from left to right and right to left across the figure. The cancelled plate was probably among those 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 F.A.S. in 1879.

15: Z. Astruc, Editor of 'L'Artiste' 036, Whistler with a hat 044, Fumette's Bent Head 058, Venus 060, Arthur Haden 066, Mr Mann 073, Axenfeld 068.

The copper plate was probably among those acquired from Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851), by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who explained, 'A number of these plates were returned to me after the artist's death by Robert Dunthorne of Vigo Street, London in exchange for a number of lithographic proofs'. 16

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

The plate was later given by Miss Philip to the University of Glasgow in 1935.