JAMES A. M. WHISTLER Long Venice. Etching and drypoint printed in dark brownish...

JAMES A. M. WHISTLER
Long Venice.

Etching and drypoint printed in dark brownish black on antique cream laid paper, 1879-80. 128x309 mm; 5x12 1/8 inches. MacDonald's eighth state (of 8). Edition of approximately 30. Signed with the butterfly and inscribed "imp" in pencil on the tab, lower left. From Twenty-Six Etchings. A superb, richly-inked, dark impression of this very scarce etching.

According to MacDonald, Whistler sold the plate for this etching after he had completed the sixth state, and it was thereafter printed from by Émile Frédéric Salmon. The total edition of approximately 30 includes impressions taken by both Whistler and Salmon.

From the second set of Venice etchings by Whistler, one of 26 subjects in all (there were 12 etchings in the first set), published in an edition of approximately 30 by Dowdeswell and Dowdeswell, London.

According to MacDonald, "A panoramic view of the Venice shoreline from the Doge's Palace, at the left, to Santa Maria della Salute and the Giudecca Canal in the distance on the right. There are sailing ships by the quayside and gondolas on the water . . . The view is reversed, as usual (on site, the view includes the Redentore on the left and Doge's Palace on the right)." Kennedy 212; Glasgow 211....