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JAMES A. M.WHISTLER
Old Putney Bridge
.
Etching and drypoint printed in dark,
brownish black on antique, cream laid
paper, circa 1879. 201x300 mm; 8x11
7
/
8
inches, full margins. MacDonald’s seventh
state (of 7), with the shaded butterfly in
the plate lower center and with the
additional row of ripples in the water
lower right.
An early impression, signed with the
large, shaded butterfly and inscribed
“imp” in pencil, lower right. Large coat-
of-arms watermark. A brilliant, richly-
inked and early impression, with very
strong contrasts, with crisp, inky plate
edges, with all the details distinct and with
burr on the bridge piers; similar in quality
to the impression in the Freer Gallery of
Art, Smithsonian Institution,Washington,
D. C. Ex-collectionWilliam G. Rawlinson
(see Lugt 26240); and Albert W. Scholle,
with the ink stamp (Lugt 2923a, verso).
Whistler (1834-1903) began work on
this plate, among his largest and most
ambitiousThames etchings, in March 1879,
while facing bankruptcy stemming from
overspending on the design of his London
home (“White House” in Chelsea) and his
libel trial with the art critic John Ruskin.
He almost certainly looked to recoup these
financial losses with the publication of
several larger, more notable etchings in the
late 1870s (see lot 34), ultimately accepting
a commission from the Fine Art Society,
London, in July 1879, to go toVenice and
return by December with a set of 12
etched views of the Italian city which they
would in turn publish and exhibit (see lots
36 and 37).
During his lifetime,Whistler was highly
praised for his etchings and was considered
by print connoisseurs to rival Rembrandt
in the mastery of the medium. His
technique was meticulous and deliberate; he diligently reworked plates until he was
completely satisfied with an impression.When printing, he took great care applying ink
to the plate and carefully selected various papers for the quality in which they held the