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Melon Shop, Houndsditch

Impression: Hunterian Art Gallery
Hunterian Art Gallery
(46630)
Number: 355
Date: 1887
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 128 x 178 mm
Signed: butterfly at left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 5
Known impressions: 10
Catalogues: K.293; M.288
Impressions taken from this plate  (10)

STATE

Five states are known before cancellation.

State 1

Etching: K2930102
Signed with a butterfly at left, above centre.
The composition is complete.
The interior of the shop is lightly shaded, with the cupboards and boxes almost without shading.

State 2

Etching: K2930104
Drypoint cross-hatching intensifies the shading, which now extends all around the figures in the interior.

State 3

Etching: K2930205
The butterfly is shaded, and there are numerous other etched changes including: the features of the two women in the foreground who, from looking straight ahead, are now facing slightly towards each other; additional patches of shading on the women's gowns; the face and bodice of the woman standing in the interior are delicately modelled, and she now looks directly at the viewer; the cupboards and boxes in the interior are more thoroughly shaded and cross-hatched, except in the area behind the woman at right, whose head is almost completely removed; the lines of the head of the man at left appear to be worn or reduced in strength; the fruit inside the window and inside the door is lightly shaded.

State 4

Etching: K2930203
There is more drypoint shading on the head of the man at left, on his cap at left and on his face from his cap brim to the end of his nose; vertical lines are added on the cupboards above and to right of the woman at right.

State 5

Etching: K2930302
Drypoint shading is added on both sides of the head of the man at left, along with a tiny patch of dark shading on his right cheek.

State 5 (cancelled)

Etching: PS_K293_01
Cancelled with one diagonal line.

No impression from the cancelled plate is known. This is a digital image based on the copper plate. 9

9: A scan of the copper plate was flipped horizontally, converted to greyscale, and colour inverted, with enhanced contrast.