Early Morning; Lithotint

Abstract

Whistler first took up lithography seriously about 1878, his attention drawn to it by Thomas Way. This print, a study of the Thames, is similar to another of the same year, Nocturne: The River at Battersea. Twelve copies were printed of the first state of the lithograph, which was reworked in two further states. In these, the artist scraped away the unnecessary darks. Only two or three proofs of these states were pulled. When the stone was finally completed, a number of copies were taken, some of which were exhibited at the Fine Art Society's Gallery in 1895. Eventually, as more prints were taken, the old work began to reappear. The drawing was again scraped, and about fifty copies were finally pulled. Although Early Morning was intended for Picadilly, it was never published by it (Levy, Mervyn. Whistler Lithographs - an Illustrated Catolgue Raisonne.)