Children, Portsmouth |  Art Institute of Chicago (1937.173) | |
| Number: | 301 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 67 x 99 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 6 | |
| Catalogues: | K.323; M.311 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (6) | ||
TECHNIQUE
This is pure etching, mostly drawn with sweeping curved and hooked broken lines, dots and dashes, with a few small areas of shading on the distant boats and the figure seated on a boat at left.
PRINTING
The record of printing of the 'Naval Review Set' is very full, but not always comprehensible. According to one list, six impressions of Portsmouth, Children were printed by 19 August 1887, another one on 28 August and four on 1 September. 7 On 18 July 1889 Whistler noted having three still in stock. 8
7: List, [18-23 August 1887], GUW #13233.
8: GUW #13235.
Of the impressions located, all were printed on laid paper, without watermarks, several in dark brown ink, on ivory (), darkened cream () and cream 'antique' (pre-1800) paper (). Others are in black ink on buff () and on ivory paper (, ). All were trimmed to the platemark and signed on a tab with Whistler's butterfly signature and 'imp.' to show that he printed them.