18
●
JAMES A. M.WHISTLER
The Smithy
.
Etching and drypoint printed in dark brown
on cream laid paper, 1880-81. 177x229
mm; 7x9 inches. Sixth state (of 6). Signed
with the butterfly and inscribed “imp.” in
pencil, lower left.A very good impression
of this extremely scarce etching.
We have found only 7 other impressions
at auction in the past 25 years.MacDonald
cites 20 known impressions, including
those at the Art Institute of Chicago, the
Baltimore Museum of Art, the Cleveland
Museum of Art, the Freer Gallery of Art,
Washington,D.C., the Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C. and the National
Gallery of Art,Washington, D.C.
According to MacDonald, though he
worked on this subject through six different
states,Whistler,“never resolved the right
side of the composition. He used etching
and then combined it with drypoint to
refine and enhance the shading of the
ceiling, the objects in the room and the
dark shadows. However, the sketchy
figure to the left of the anvil in the first
state, although later removed, was never
replaced, leaving a white unetched area
on that part of the image.” Kennedy 240;
Glasgow 239.
This etching, which was never published
and is known only in proofs, may have
been produced toward the end of Whistler’s
stay inVenice (he returned to London in
November 1880) or on the continent
shortly thereafter.
[7,000/10,000]
