Cameo, No. 2 |  Art Institute of Chicago (1934.554) | |
| Number: | 460 | |
| Date: | 1891 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 178 x 128 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 5 | |
| Catalogues: | K.348; M.334 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (5) | ||
TECHNIQUE
The composition is done in pure etching. One impression was drawn on extensively in graphite pencil, indicating possible additions, but these were not carried out. It is inscribed, possibly by Whistler, 'N° 3 / 2', which is rather hard to interpret! Is it the third impression or the second? Or the second in a sales list? Or what?
PRINTING
It is fairly rare. The first proof was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (). One impression, printed in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper with an 'IV' countermark, was kept by Whistler (). Neither of these were trimmed.
Several other impressions were trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with Whistler's butterfly and 'imp.' to show that he had printed them. These included an impression in black ink () and two in dark brown ink on off-white () and ivory () laid paper, the latter possibly with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark.