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Old Hungerford Bridge

Impression: Hunterian Art Gallery
Hunterian Art Gallery
(46760)
Number: 76
Date: 1861
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 140 x 215 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' at lower right
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: 'Thames Set', 1871
No. of States: 4
Known impressions: 65
Catalogues: K.76; M.76; T.37; W.80
Impressions taken from this plate  (65)

STATE

Four states are known before cancellation.

State 1

Etching: K0760105
Signed 'Whistler.' at lower right.
The composition is complete. There is foul biting at upper left, and small figures on the beach at lower right.

State 2

Etching: K0760202
The foul biting at upper left is removed and replaced by clouds; the bases of two central bridge piers are partly burnished out; part of the Houses of Parliament, with smoke billowing across the towers, is added at upper left.

State 3

Etching: K0760308
The smoke from the steamboat in the centre is clearly outlined; fine drypoint lines are added throughout the sky.
The drypoint is worn in late impressions. In some impressions the small figures at lower right are barely visible. Some impressions show that the plate was scratched, but then probably the scratches were removed: for instance several impressions have a diagonal scratch running from above the rowing boat to left of centre towards the foreground at right, as in the impression reproduced.

State 4

Etching: K0760328
There is additional shading between the smoke and the base of the bridge support seen below the barge's sail.

State 4 (cancelled)

Etching: K0760401
Cancelled with four ruled diagonal and two ruled horizontal lines.