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Double Doorway, Sandwich

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1917.492)
Number: 322
Date: 1887
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 70 x 110 mm
Signed: butterfly at left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 3
Known impressions: 4
Catalogues: K.306; M.301
Impressions taken from this plate  (4)

TECHNIQUE

This plate was begun in pure etching, one small patch of drypoint shading was added in the second state, and then Whistler returned to etching to add more shading and further detail in the final state.
The subject was drawn with rough, broken outlines, patches of irregular shading and zigzags, some closely packed and some widely spaced. The figures are broadly drawn with summary outlines and quick curves catching the character of the moving figures. It has the immediacy of a pen drawing.

PRINTING

Double Doorway, Sandwich is very rare. Impressions were printed in black ink, the first state on ivory laid paper (), the next on a sheet of ivory laid paper removed from a book () and the final state on cream laid paper (, ). All were trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.