Steamboat Fleet, Chelsea |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.401) | |
| Number: | 155 | |
| Date: | 1875/1877 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 139 x 215 mm | |
| Signed: | no | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | 'Cancelled Plates', 1879 | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 19 | |
| Catalogues: | K.156; M.153; W.223 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (19) | ||
TECHNIQUE
It is pure drypoint, drawn mostly with long, sweeping lines, strengthened by additional shading on the ships in the second state, and with the background clarified by fine shading along the horizon.
PRINTING
The drypoint is very rare; only one impression of the first state () and two of the second are recorded (, ). The first state was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper with a 'DEDB' and beehive watermark, the second on watermarked laid paper, one sheet with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark, taken from a book (the sewing holes are visible) (). They are printed with a notably soft and furry burr.
Most impressions are from the cancelled plate. It was published in an album of Cancelled Plates ('Cancelled Set') by The Fine Art Society, London, 1879 possibly in an edition of 20 or 24. Impressions were printed in black ink, usually on laid paper, including cream paper with Van Gelder (, ) and Strasbourg Lily () watermarks.