Childs Gallery
Venice in the Etching Revival
Venice in the Etching Revival
Otto Bacher, Ernest D. Roth, William Walcot, James Abbott McNeill Whistler
The etching medium experienced a resurgence towards the end of the 19th century as artists reexamined the technique and once again promoted it as an original art medium rather than merely a reproductive process. During this time, James Abbott McNeill Whistler became a leading figure of the Etching Revival, influencing countless other artists to explore the technique. Contemporaries took inspiration not only in the etching process itself, but also from Whistler’s favored subject matter, including the city of Venice.
Few places in the world have sparked the collective artistic consciousness as has Venice. Whistler arrived in the city in 1879, commissioned by the Fine Art Society, London to produce a suite of twelve etchings. Largely forgoing the most famous, fashionable landmarks, Whistler instead created images of hidden areas, intricate facades, and working-class Venetians. Other artists followed suit, producing similarly atmospheric works that depicted both the more recognizable and lesser-known sites of Venice.
This exhibition presents prints by Whistler and fellow artists including Otto Bacher, Ernest D. Roth, and William Walcot, who explored etching as an independent mode of expression. Using Venice as their collective muse, they created striking compositions that faithfully captured intimate and eye-catching scenes through the etched line.
Image Credit:
Childs Gallery
"I have learned to know a Venice in Venice that others never seem to have perceived . . . ”
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
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Venice - Courtyard of the Doge's Palace
William Walcot, British (1874-1943)
4 1/4 x 4 1/8 inches
Etching and drypoint with aquatint
Harvey-Lee 185A. Edition of 50. Signed lower right margin: "W. Walcot". A fine impression in fine condition, aside from light matburn. Sheet measures 9 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches.
$1,200
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, American (1834-1903)
Quiet Canal
1879-80
8 7/8 x 6 inches
Etching and drypoint
Glasgow 224 iv/IV; Kennedy 214 v/V. From the Second Venice Set ("A Set of Twenty-Six Etchings by James A. McN. Whistler," 1886). Signed in graphite with the artist's butterfly signature and "imp"on tab. Printed on laid paper in brown ink. Trimmed to or just within the platemark. A fine impression in fine condition.
$45,000
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James Abbott McNeill Whistler, American (1834-1903)
The Mast, or The Venetian Mast
1879-80
13 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches
Etching and drypoint
Glasgow 219 vi/XII; Kennedy 195 v/VI. From the First Venice Set ("Venice, A Series of Twelve Etchings," 1880). Signed in graphite with the artist's butterfly signature and "imp." in the lower left margin. Signed in the plate with the artist’s butterfly signature near the left edge, just below center. A fine impression in fine condition. Sheet measures 14 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches.
$18,500
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, American (1834-1903)
The Two Doorways
1880
8 x 11 1/2 inches
Etching and drypoint
Glasgow 221 vii/XIII; Kennedy 193 iv/V. From the First Venice Set ("Venice, A Series of Twelve Etchings," 1880). Signed in graphite with the artist's butterfly signature and "imp."on tab. Signed in the plate with the artist's butterfly signature to the left of the arch of the doorway. Printed on laid paper. Trimmed to or just within the platemark. A fine impression in fine condition aside from adhesive residue and hinge remnants verso.
$45,000
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