Landscape with Horses

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

The embossed blindstamp of Whistler collector/publisher Walter Dowdswell (Lugt 799), "Dowdswell / New Bond St." is in the lower left margin edge; in the margin beneath the left corner of the platemark is the tiny blindstamp of John Day (L. 526). On the verso is the stamp of Otto Gerstenberg (Lugt 2785), as well as an unidentified graphite cypher. There is a thin, 1-1/4" white line in image, above the plate signature that appears to have been a hair or fiber in the paper that fell out. There is such a hair on the verso, perhaps from a paint brush. The plate is in the Freer Gallery of Art.

Glasgow notes: "Over twenty of the second state have been found. Considering the condition of the plate in some of these (it was deeply pitted this is a quite surprising number. It was printed in black ink, early impressions being printed on buff or browned wove paper; cream 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper taken from a book; and laid paper with light brown fibres. These slightly rough or textured papers complement the grainy pitting of the plate. An impression of the second state is on a similar laid paper with brown fibres "

Around 1880 Dowdswell was closely associated with Whistler, whose house of Dowdeswell published several etchings. The first serious article on this master, highlighting the importance of his works, is from the pen of W. Dowdeswell; it appeared in the Art Journal (see Pennell's work on Whistler). Walter Dowdeswell was in the habit, especially around 1885, to put his initials on the back of the finest Whistler proofs that he passed through his hands. This brand is therefore a guarantee of excellence.