The Little Cloak | ||
Number: | 370 | |
Date: | 1887 | |
Medium: | etching | |
Size: | 83 x 52 mm | |
Signed: | no | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | no | |
No. of States: | 1 | |
Known impressions: | 3 | |
Catalogues: | K.336; M.332 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (3) |
TECHNIQUE
For this etching, the model and dress were drawn with vigorous long strokes of the needle, reinforced by patches of zig-zag and regular shading that often run over the outlines of the figure. There is considerable foul biting in the form of dots and dark, granular patches.
PRINTING
Only three impressions of The Little Cloak are known. Two are in black ink on ivory laid paper and show considerable evidence of foul biting, and granular tone over the figure. The mark of a vise, used for holding the plate, is seen at the bottom of the plate (, ). The third is printed in a very dark brown ink, but is otherwise similar (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.
On 4 September 1887 Whistler had a production line going, and, with some assistance, printed impressions of nine etchings: 'Scaffolding / The Steps / Miss Pettigrew / Sweet Shop / the Park / Cottage Door / Greengrocer / Rag shop / Maunders'. 12 'Miss Pettigrew' may have been The Little Cloak. The other etchings on the list include Savoy Scaffolding 317; Little Steps, Chelsea 269 or The Steps, Gray's Inn 282; The Village Sweet Shop 266; St James's Park 250; Cottage Door 252; Little Greengrocer's Shop, Chelsea 264 or T. A. Nash's Greengrocer's Shop 298; The Rag Shop, Milman's Row 290, Little Maunder's 273, Rag Shop, Milman's Row, Chelsea 329 or Rag Shop, St Martin's Lane 328; and Fish-Shop, Chelsea 267 or Little Maunder's 273.
12: Whistler, list, [8 February-29 September 1887], GUW #12716.