Etching printed on Japanese paper, 1858
Like The Rag Gatherers (below) this print was made after Whistler’s return to Paris from the Rhine, and drawn on the plates from life. The subject had appeared previously in etchings by Barbizon artists Jean-François Millet and Charles Jacque.
This impression is printed on paper that was probably prepared with an overall tone of ink before printing the plate (it may have been printed at the same time as The Kitchen, which has a similar effect). This darkens the margins and the overall tonality of the print, reducing the contrast between shadow and highlight. The effect is similar to printing on coloured paper, which was also tried for some subjects in the set.
Given by Mrs T. H. Riches 1923
Collections record: P.2085-R
