UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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Cutler Street, Houndsditch

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1938.1892)
Number: 361
Date: 1887
Medium: etching
Size: 178 x 128 mm
Signed: butterfly at right
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 8
Catalogues: K.292; M.287; W.234
Impressions taken from this plate  (8)

TECHNIQUE

This etching was freely drawn with expressive broken lines - curved, hooked, and jerky - with the deep shadow at left augmented with close cross-hatching. There are a lot of flecks and dots of foul-biting, giving a grainy texture to the scene.

PRINTING

Impressions were printed in quite dark shades, mostly in dark brown ink () but also in black ink (), and usually on laid paper. The first state is on ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper, one impression with a Pro Patria watermark () and another with a partial watermark (). Second states are on ivory laid paper (, ), one with a Crown watermark (); and another is on cream laid paper with a crowned 'GR' countermark (). They are all trimmed to the platemark and signed with the butterfly and 'imp.' on the tab to show that Whistler had printed them.