Rotherhithe (K. 66)

Details

James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Rotherhithe (K. 66)
etching with drypoint, 1860, on 19th century laid paper, watermarked T STAINS, a very strong and clear impression of the third, final state, with burr on the two men in the foreground and to the hull of the ship, typical of an early impression printed prior to the plate's first publication in the The Thames Set, 1871, with narrow margins at left and right and wider margins above and below, the tip of the upper left sheet re-attached, otherwise in good condition; with The Pool (K. 41), etching with drypoint, 1859, on 19th century laid paper, watermark Beehive above the Letters DE DE (De Erven de Blauw), a fine impression of the fourth, final state, probably printed prior to the plates publication in The Thames Set, 1871, with narrow margins, two narrow paper losses at the upper left and right sheet edges made-up, otherwise in good condition
K. 66: P. 273 x 200 mm., S. 367 x 238 mm.
K. 41: P. 136 x 215 mm., S. 160 x 237 mm. (2)

Provenance

K. 66: Minneapolis Institute of Arts (duplicate); Christie's, New York, 8 May 1985, lot 465 ($6,050).

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Lot Essay

In 1859 Whistler took residence in the bustling neighbourhood of Wapping, the centre of London's thriving maritime trade. From that vantage point he made a fascinating series of etchings of the Thames River, a subject which he revisited regularly throughout his life. These studies formed the basis of A Series of Sixteen etchings of Scenes on the Thames and other subjects, known as the Thames Set. The set was not formally published until 1871, but impressions printed by Delâtre or by the artist himself were exhibited at Whistler's first solo exhibition in 1861. The impressions included in this lot are printed on antique papers and are sensitively wiped, typical of proofs printed before steel-facing and prior to publication.

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