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Clothes-Exchange, Houndsditch, No. 2

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1917.484)
Number: 359
Date: 1887
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 229 x 153 mm
Signed: butterfly at left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 3
Known impressions: 4
Catalogues: K.288; M.283
Impressions taken from this plate  (4)

PUBLICATION

Clothes-Exchange, No. 2 was not published. However, it forms one of Whistler's unpublished but clearly defined 'Houndsditch Set'.

EXHIBITIONS

An impression was lent by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) to the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and later, to the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in Boston in 1904 and the London Memorial of 1905; unfortunately it has not been located. 16

One of two impressions owned by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) was exhibited at a show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 (Graphic with a link to impression #K2880203). 17

16: Chicago 1893 (cat. no. 2257 (1674)); Boston 1904 (cat. no. 203); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 292).

17: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 287).

SALES & COLLECTORS

The Newcastle Leader reported on 17 August 1887 'Mr Whistler was present at the naval review [and] He was seen the other morning in the Minories sketching the picturesque corners of "Cloth Fair". The artist has an eye for business. The naval review is an historical event, and "slumming" is a pursuit much indulged in by the élite of society.' 18

18: Anon., Newcastle Leader, 17 August 1887 (GUL PC9/1).

The price was £10.10.0, which was quite a high price, aimed at 'élite' collectors. Whistler sold one impression on 29 June 1888 to the New York print dealers H. Wunderlich & Co., and others on 2 and 27 July 1888 to Frederick Keppel (1845-1912) of F. Keppel & Co. and to Knoedler & Co. 19 Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought an early impression from F. Keppel & Co. on 16 April 1889 (Graphic with a link to impression #K2880102).

19: GUW #13052, #13063, #13660.

Other collectors included John Henry Wrenn (1841-1911) (Graphic with a link to impression #K2880104, Graphic with a link to impression #K2880104) and Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (Graphic with a link to impression #K2880203) and later, Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) (Graphic with a link to impression #K2880103). Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) recorded an impression of his state 2 in his own collection, but it has not been identified. 20

20: Mansfield 1909 (cat. no. 283).