Drouet, Sculpteur

 

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

  1834 - 1903 (biography)

1859  

etching and drypoint in black ink 

8 15/16 x 6" platemark 

signed in plate, lower right image 

73 known impressions (Glasgow) in 2 states, plus published proofs in state II (cancelled b). 

title, date; very faintly in upper right “Whistler Maitre Eaufortier” in plate. 

Kennedy 55; M.55; Gr.55; T.55 

thick, laid ivory paper with a large double watermark of a griffins in a shield, letters and dated with Roman numeral MDCCCXXII. 

II/II 

artist 

20285 

SOLD

Over seventy impressions are known but most are from the cancelled plate or from the plate after restoration. The single impression of the first state is in black ink on ivory Japan. Most early impressions are on Asian paper, including cream Japan laid paper, ivory Japanese and off-white thin fibrous Japanese paper. Cancelled impressions, as published in 1879 by the Fine Art Society, are usually on ivory or off-white laid paper, but also on cream 'modern' (post-1800) laid, with a partial horned crown watermark and cream laid Van Gelder paper. There was a print-run of about 20 at this time. Impressions from the restored plate are also in black ink and are often of good quality. Papers include Asian laid, ivory Japan tissue; cream Japanese paper and a sheet of ivory Asian laid paper torn from a book. Western papers include ivory wove, a very light green laid paper; greenish off-white 'modern' laid paper with a partial watermark reading 'ROYAL'; ivory laid paper watermarked with a wreath; and ivory 'modern' heavy-weight laid paper watermarked 'J Whatman 1801'.