Price’s Candle Works
James Whistler (1834-1903), Price’s Candle Works, drypoint on laid Japan paper, circa 1875. Trimmed on the platemark by the artist. With an early butterfly signature and inscribed imp in pencil on the tab. Kennedy 154, an intermediate state between states III and IIIa, before drypoint addition to the topsail but with additions to main sail; Glasgow (Margaret F. MacDonald, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock, James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné, University of Glasgow, 2011) 166, twelfth state (of 13). Lochnan 155. h: 8.9 x w: 8.9 in / h: 22.6 x w: 22.6 cm
Provenance:
Kennedy Galleries, New York (their stock no. in pencil on verso a65820)
Tracy Dows, New York (Lugt 2427)
Charles C. Cunningham, Jr., Boston (not in Lugt)
The Fine Art Society, London
George S. van Houten, Waalre, Netherlands
A fine impression, printed with subtle and even plate tone and burr on the drypoint. This is the impression illustrated in the Glasgow catalogue for the twelfth state.
Kennedy initially listed four states and then added two additional states; one should therefore properly count six states, this one being an intermediate one between (new) states four and five. But Glasgow (see reference above) describes 13 states; this would appear to be a very early impression of the twelfth state.
This print is an example of the effect that Whistler could achieve with the contrasts of night and illumination, making, as Wedmore remarked, “the chimney of a brewery or a candle works […] not less beautiful than […] King’s College Chapel”.
on reserve