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Battersea Dawn (Cadogan Pier)

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1894.18)
Number: 95
Date: 1863
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 115 x 153 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' at lower left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: 'Thames Set', 1871
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 61
Catalogues: K.75; M.75; T.64; W.79
Impressions taken from this plate  (61)

TECHNIQUE

It is in both etching and drypoint, and in many impressions the drypoint appears somewhat worn.

PRINTING

The sole extant impression of the first state was printed in black ink on off-white 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper with a partial 'Pro Patria / N' watermark ().
Most impressions are of the second state. One is in dark brown ink on cream wove paper () but by far the majority are in black ink, and these are on a variety of papers. Most are on cream or ivory laid paper with the 'DE ERVEN DE BLAUW' watermark (i.e. , , , , ) and with the 'DEDB' and beehive watermark (, , ), but another sheet bears a bird watermark (). A small group are on Japanese paper, varying in colour from off-white () to cream (, ) and buff (). Finally a few impressions are in dark grey or greyish black ink, including one on cream wove paper (), and another on ivory laid paper, possibly Asian ().
In July 1894 Frederick Goulding (1842-1909) printed an impression to show the condition of the copper plate at that time (). The plate was cancelled shortly afterwards, in 1894 or 1895. There are several complete cancelled sets including one of this etching printed in black ink on off-white laid paper (), and another, on ivory 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper, from a set sold by F. Keppel & Co. to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) ().