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329 JAMES A. M.WHISTLER
Quiet Canal
.
Etching and drypoint printed in dark, brownish black on
antique, cream laid paper, 1879-80. 229x150 mm; 9x6 inches,
full margins. MacDonald’s third state (of 4) or an early fourth
state (of 4), still with
pentimenti
of the redrawn prow on the
gondola with the seated man center foreground and before the
further darkening of the same prow with drypoint, before the
scratches across the doorway furthest to the right. Edition of
approximately only 30. Signed with the butterfly and inscribed
“imp.” in pencil, lower left. From
Twenty-Six Etchings
.A superb,
well-inked and dark impression of this very scarce etching with
warm plate tone and with all the details distinct.
This is fromWhistler’s second set of Venice etchings, one of 26
subjects in all (there were 12 etchings in the first set), published
in an edition of approximately 30 by Dowdeswell and
Dowdeswell, London, in 1886.The firstVenice set was exhibited
at the Fine Art Society, London, in December 1880; a larger
exhibition including the second set of Venice etchings was held
in 1883. Meanwhile, the printings of both of these sets varied
dramatically (and reversedly): the second set was fully printed by
July 1887, while the first set was still incomplete at the artist’s
death in 1903.
According to MacDonald, the scene is, “East of the Rialto
Bridge, with, on the right, the corner of the Palazzo Soranzo-
Venier-Sanudo-van Axel-Barozzi,Venice, Italy.The Palazzo was
much painted and photographed; it has a decorative 15th
century wooden door.”However,Whistler focused on the canal
rather than the popular palazzo at the right; he drew the etching
directly on the copper plate as was his practice in Venice.
Kennedy 214; Glasgow 224.
[20,000/30,000]