Millbank |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.314) | |
| Number: | 78 | |
| Date: | 1861 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 102 x 127 mm | |
| Signed: | 'James Whistler' (in inscription) (1-4); removed (5) | |
| Inscribed: | '1861' at lower left; 'The Works of James Whistler: Etchings and Dry Points, are on View at E. Thomas' .. Publisher / 39. Old Bond Street' at lower right (1-2); 'London.' added (4); erased (5) | |
| Set/Publication: | 'Thames Set', 1871 | |
| No. of States: | 5 | |
| Known impressions: | 67 | |
| Catalogues: | K.71; M.71; T.44; W.67 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (67) | ||
STATE
Five states are known before cancellation.
State 1
Dated '1861' at lower left, on the barge, and inscribed 'The Works of James Whistler: Etchings and Dry Points, are / on View at E. Thomas' .. Publisher / 39. Old Bond Street' at lower right.
The composition is complete.
State 2
Drypoint lines are added behind the stern of the barge in the river and along the shore above it; the shadow to right of the barge with the man standing on the stern is strengthened with diagonal lines, and horizontal lines are added to the front of that barge's hold; the shadow of the man on the bank, at right, is extended.
In later impressions some drypoint shading is worn (i.e. ).
State 3
Fine diagonal and curved horizontal lines are added to the shadows of the men on the shore.
The word 'not' -- added to the inscription on the example illustrated -- appears to have been added in pen and ink, rather than etched into the plate. This impression has not been located and no other has the added 'not', so the addition has not been confirmed. It is unlikely that 'not' was etched into the plate and then almost immediately removed. Kennedy included this as the fourth state (of five) in his catalogue. 10 However, it is before the addition of the word 'London' and the scratches that appear at lower left at the end of his third state and are present into his fifth state.
10: Kennedy 1910[more] (cat. no. 71 IV/V).
State 4
'London.' is added to the inscription at lower right, in drypoint.
During the course of printing this state, four vertical scratches (two longer and two short) appear near the lower left corner, on the barge, and one vertical scratch appears below the word 'Old' at lower right (see ).
State 5
The inscription is removed.
A diagonal scratch runs from the name of the barge ('DELIGHT') at lower left toward the adjoining hull.
Published in the 'Thames Set' in this state.
During the course of printing, small crescent moon-shaped marks appear above a building to left of the tower, along with other minor scratches. It was included in the 'Thames Set' with these minor scratches.
After further printing, a small, irregular damaged area appears to left of the two heads looking over the parapet at right.
On other late impressions, small patches of corrosion, damage or foul biting appear at upper right. On some examples, foul biting is visible at both upper left and right as well at lower right. These could be either later or earlier than examples with just the irregular damages area at left, as the very latest impressions -- taken from the cancelled plate -- do not show patches of foul biting.
State 5 (cancelled)
Cancelled with a central vertical and several ruled horizontal lines; it is particularly thickly scored out along the line of the horizon.