Items Similar to The Mill, Amsterdam, 1889
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 2
James Abbott McNeill WhistlerThe Mill, Amsterdam, 18891889
1889
$125,000
£93,560.65
€108,110.44
CA$173,333.32
A$194,155.60
CHF 100,939.33
MX$2,397,430.95
NOK 1,285,887.61
SEK 1,215,606.68
DKK 806,779.20
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
James Whistler (1834-1903), The Mill, 1889, etching and drypoint, signed in pencil with the butterfly on the tab and inscribed “imp”, and inscribed “first state” (twice) and annotated “Wunderlich” and signed again with the butterfly verso. Reference: Kennedy 413, first state (of 5). Glasgow 457, second state (of 6; see discussion below) (cf. Margaret F. MacDonald, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock, James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné, University of Glasgow, 2011)
On laid paper, in very good condition, trimmed just outside of the platemark all around except for the tab by the artist, 6 1/4 x 9 3/8 inches.
A very fine impression of this great rarity, printed in black/brown ink with a slight veil of plate tone.
provenance:
H. Wunderlich & Co., New York
Louis B. Dailey, New York (Lugt 4500)
sale, Sotheby’s, New York, October 31, 2003, lot 69
literature;
Neue Lagerliste 122: James McNeill Whistler – Etchings and Lithographs, sale catalogue, C.G. Boerner/Harris Schrank Fine Prints, New York/Düsseldorf 2007, no. 39
A very fine impression.
This impression shows accents of fresh drypoint work with burr, most discernable above the head of the woman standing in the shadows at right, above her right hand, and close to her left foot; these touches and additional lines on the woman seated at the left suggest this is a second state, not a first as noted by the artist (and, according to Glasgow, the only example of this state). It is a much richer impression, with more drypoint burr, than the examples of the first state (at the National Gallery and the Freer, Washington D.C.)
The print is annotated by Whistler himself in pencil on the verso 1st state (twice) and signed again with a small butterfly. Below this, the artist wrote Wunderlich, designating this impression for Hermann Wunderlich, the founder of H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York and the artist’s first and most important dealer in the United States. Whistler is known to have chosen particularly fine impressions for Wunderlich.
The print is extremely rare in every state. Fine calls it “little known because of its rarity” (p. 179) and Glasgow lists no more than a total of 13 impression. To our knowledge this is the only impression to have reached the market in the past thirty years.
Whistler attempted in his Amsterdam etchings to use extensive etching and drypoint lines to create the atmospheric changes in tone which he achieved in the Venice group through plate tone. Doing so, he created extremely delicate plates, which could only produce a few impressions before the plate became unusable.
Critics have viewed The Mill as a paean to Rembrandt, which it surely is, but one wonders whether Whistler might have also thought of the etchings of Van Ostade, particularly those showing the shadowy indoor settings (such as The Barn), with workers or peasants merging into the darkness. Whistler’s brilliant chiaroscuro etchings (such as Doorway and Vine, or the Nocturne: Furnace of the Venice Set) come to mind also – here the light of day illuminates windmills in the horizon.
- Creator:James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903, American)
- Creation Year:1889
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU51531472583
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American artist active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. Whistler was born on July 11, 1834, in Lowell. During his formative years in Paris in the 1850s, Whistler was influenced by the injunctions of the poet and theorist Charles Baudelaire that artists should take subjects from modern life and seek a new beauty in the teeming cities. Whistler's first major suite of prints, his French Set brought critical acclaim but disappointing sales. Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially, under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the etching revival, he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters. In his Thames Set etchings, Whistler often introduced the figures of workmen, boatmen or loungers in the foregrounds. Whistler died on July 17, 1903, in London.
About the Seller
4.9
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 2000
1stDibs seller since 2016
105 sales on 1stDibs
Associations
International Fine Print Dealers Association
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: New York, NY
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllLimehouse
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), Limehouse, etching, 1859. References: Glasgow 48, fifth state (of 6), Kennedy 40, third state (of 3), signed with the butterfly in pencil in the lower margin. [Also signed and dated in the plate.]With margins, 5 x 7 7/8 inches, the sheet 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches. Published as no. 12 in A Series of Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames and Other Subjects, otherwise known as the Thames Set. In good condition apart from a soft diagonal fold in the sky.
A very fine impression, in black ink on a thin Japan paper.
Provenance: Dr. John W. Randall (cf. Lugt 2130), without his mark, annotated on the mat.
Limehouse, the entrance to the West Indies Docks, lies opposite the Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe, along the lower Thames.
It’s unusual to find the signed butterfly (or any pencil signature) on the early London etchings, but it is known that Whistler signed...
Category
1850s Realist Landscape Prints
Materials
Etching
Limehouse
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER (1834-1903)
Limehouse, from Notes
lithotint, on cream Japan paper mounted to plate paper (as issued), 1878, Spink, Stratis & Tedesch 7, second state (of three)...
Category
1870s Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Bridge, Amsterdam
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), Bridge, Amsterdam, etching, 1889, printed in brown ink on thin laid paper, signed with the butterfly on the tab and annotated “imp”, also signed with the butterfly on the verso and numbered 11. References: Kennedy 409, Glasgow 447, fifth state (of 5). In very good condition (slight nicks at edges), trimmed by the artist on the plate mark apart from the tab, 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches.
Provenance:
Vivian and Meyer P. Potamkin, Philadelphia;
sale, Sotheby’s, New York, May 11, 1989, lot 302
Samuel Josefowitz, Pully, Switzerland
A very fine, shimmering impression of this great rarity.
This impression is included in the Glasgow inventory, ID number K4090301; only about 11 lifetime impressions in all states are known (three were also printed posthumously by Nathaniel Sparks...
Category
1880s Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Etching
The Traghetto
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
James Whistler (1834-1903), The Traghetto, etching and drypoint, 1879-80, signed with the butterfly on the tab and inscribed “imp”. Reference: Kennedy 19...
Category
1870s Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Drypoint, Etching
The Unsafe Tenement
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
James Abbot McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), The Unsafe Tenement, etching, 1858. [signed in the plate lower right]. References: Kennedy 17. Glasgow 18, fourth state (of four). In very good condition, printed on a very thin (two ply?) Japan paper, with margins, 6 1/8 x 8 3/4, the sheet 8 1/4 x 11, archival mounting.
A brilliant, black impression printed with astonishing clarity and exquisite detailing, on an ivory Japan paper. Presumably this is a proof impression before the relatively large edition published in this state (the edition was not on this paper).
Provenance: Inscribed “To Otto J. Schneider from his friend Frederick Keppel”. Schneider (1875-1946) was an American artist, noted for his realism, influenced by Whistler. Keppel was of course the well-known American dealer, one of whose specialties was Whistler prints. Keppel had a good relationship with Whistler until, as in most of his relationships, Whistler became inordinately troublesome – at which point Keppel wrote Whistler a longish, mocking poem, with lines such as these: “Like cackling hens or cocks a-crowing Your tireless trumpet keeps a-blowing. ” After this, Keppel wrote “at this point all my intercourse with this extraordinary man came to an end.”
(In the lower right is the ghost of another inscription, now erased, apparently to another friend from Edna (?) Schneider who presumably owned this print after Otto Schneider...
Category
1850s Realist Landscape Prints
Materials
Etching
The Little Putney
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in New York, NY
James Whistler, The Little Putney, 1879, etching and drypoint, signed with the large butterfly lower right (also with the butterfly in the plate). Glasgow 187, third state (of 3). 12...
Category
Late 19th Century Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Drypoint, Etching
You May Also Like
THE SMITH’S YARD
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Santa Monica, CA
JAMES ABBOTT MCNEIL WHISTLER (1834 – 1903)
THE SMITH’S YARD 1895 (Spink, Stratis & Tedeschi 124)
lithograph, 1895, on wove paper, from the edition of 3000, published by
The Inter...
Category
1890s Impressionist Interior Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Thames Warehouses
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Santa Monica, CA
JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER (American 1834–1903 London)
THAMES WHAREHOUSES, 1859 (K 38 ii/ii; Glascow 46 iv/v; Mansfield 37)
Etching and drypoint on fine thin laid paper. Plate: 3 × 8 ...
Category
1850s Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Drypoint, Etching
Billingsgate
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching printed in dark brownish black ink on cream laid paper, 6 x 8 7/8 inches (152 x 226 mm); full margins. Extremely minor and unobtrusive band of toning along the top sheet edg...
Category
Mid-19th Century Impressionist Landscape Prints
Materials
Laid Paper, Drypoint, Etching
The Forge
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Fairlawn, OH
The Forge
Drypoint, 1861
Signed in the plate lower right (see photo)
Published as part of the Thames Set, 1871
Printed between 1894 and 1896 when the plate was canceled. This impress...
Category
1860s Impressionist Figurative Prints
Materials
Drypoint
THE FORGE - Rich Drypoint
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Santa Monica, CA
JAMES ABBOTT MCNEIL WHISTLER (1834 – 1903)
THE FORGE 1866 (Kennedy. 68 iv/vi: Glascow 86 vi/vi)
Etching and drypoint. Signed and dated in the plate 1866. VERY GOOD IMPRESSION WITH...
Category
Late 19th Century Impressionist Figurative Prints
Materials
Drypoint
VITRE - THE CANAL, BRITTANY
By James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Located in Portland, ME
Whistler, James A. M.
VITRE: THE CANAL, BRITTANY. Levy 65, Spink 63. Lithograph, 1893.
One of 32 lifetime impressions, printed by Way, with Whistler's butterfly signature in pencil...
Category
1890s Prints and Multiples
Materials
Lithograph
