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Little Nude Figure

Impression: Hunterian Art Gallery
Hunterian Art Gallery
(46968)
Number: 330
Date: 1887/1888
Medium: etching
Size: 84 x 50 mm
Signed: butterfly at lower left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 1
Known impressions: 4
Catalogues: K.340; M.339
Impressions taken from this plate  (4)

TECHNIQUE

In this etching, the figure was bitten rather lightly and the shading above her more heavily. The darkest lines are those of the butterfly signature, which may have been added to the plate after the figure and then bitten separately. Usually printed on dark papers, the effect is always rather shadowy and imprecise. The figure, drawn with repeated outlines and small patches of shading, is set against an unspecific background shadow made up of larger patches of shading and cross-hatching. The shoulder and arm at right, in particular, have multiple outlines, suggesting the pose was slightly altered.

PRINTING

Four impressions have been located. One impression was printed in black ink on buff laid or Asian laid paper with slight tone around the edges (). Two more, one in dark brown and one in black ink, are on buff laid paper, with a partial 'PRO PATRIA' watermark (, ). One, being in dark brown ink on a cream laid paper, appears rather lighter. All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.