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The Lithographs by James McNeil Whistler Two Volume Set

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,000.00 USD
The Lithographs by James McNeil Whistler Two Volume Set
This is a RESERVE AUCTION LOT. That means that the lot may start at $10.00 but it will not sell unless the reserve is met. This magnificent, two-volume boxed edition, whose editors are associated with the Art Institute of Chicago, is a landmark of Whistler scholarship and should be acquired by every library serving the scholarly needs of art patrons, historians, and students. Although one cannot discount the earlier catalogues raisonnes of T.R. Way (1896, 1905) and Mervyn Levy (1975), this definitive edition is incomparable in many respects, including the beautifully crafted essays, the size and quality of the reproductions, and the meticulous scholarly apparatus. Volume 1 is the catalogue raisonne proper, interspersed with period essays contributed by Katherine A. Lochnan, curator of prints and drawings at the Art Gallery of Ontario, who traces the development of Whistler's lithography from the early 1850s through the late 1890s. The volume concludes with a collection of untransferred lithographic drawings and a detailed accession list. Volume 2 contains a collection of some 170 letters exchanged with Whistler's London printers, Thomas Way and T.R. Way, dating roughly from 1878 through 1897. A series of technical essays follows, including a discussion of Whistler's lithographic techniques; a chronology of exhibitions, publications, and sales; notes on important individuals, publications, and galleries; Whistler's choice of paper; watermarks in Whistler's papers; and a compilation of lifetime and posthumous watermarks. A chronology of posthumous printings, concordance, bibliographies, lifetime exhibitions and selected reviews, selected references, and an index conclude this volume. One could hope for little more in such a work. Highly recommended for art collections of public and academic libraries and specialized collections.