Amalfi
Seymour Haden was the unlikely combination of a surgeon and an etcher. Although he pursued a very successful medical career, he is mostly remembered for his etched work as well as for his writings on etching. He was one of a group of artists, including James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) and Alphonse Legros (1837–1911), whose passionate interest in the medium led to the so-called etching revival, a period that lasted well into the twentieth century. The extolling of etching for its inherent spontaneous qualities reached its pinnacle during this time. While the line of the etching needle, Haden wrote, was "free, expressive, full of vivacity," that of the burin was "cold, constrained, uninteresting," and "without identity."
View of an old street in Italy; apartment buildings at right and at left, connected by archways.
"According to Harrington this plate was etched in 1858 from a drawing (present whereabouts unknown) done in Italy in 1844. There is the possibility that the plate was worked on earlier. 'Mr. Haden believes this was drawn on the plate in 1843-4, but is not sure where it was bitten in then or later (Buffalo, Illustrated Catalogue, 1891, 96).
State III (D1, H1). Additional drypoint work on the left and right wall, and on various other parts of the plate, especially additional shading on the mountains seen between the arches."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 45]
"Published State: First.- There is much dry-point work on the wall and other parts of the plate. This plate was etched in 1858 from a drawing done in Italy in 1844."
[Source: Harrington, p. 4]
View of an old street in Italy; apartment buildings at right and at left, connected by archways.
"According to Harrington this plate was etched in 1858 from a drawing (present whereabouts unknown) done in Italy in 1844. There is the possibility that the plate was worked on earlier. 'Mr. Haden believes this was drawn on the plate in 1843-4, but is not sure where it was bitten in then or later (Buffalo, Illustrated Catalogue, 1891, 96).
State III (D1, H1). Additional drypoint work on the left and right wall, and on various other parts of the plate, especially additional shading on the mountains seen between the arches."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 45]
"Published State: First.- There is much dry-point work on the wall and other parts of the plate. This plate was etched in 1858 from a drawing done in Italy in 1844."
[Source: Harrington, p. 4]
Artwork Details
- Title: Amalfi
- Artist: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (British, London 1818–1910 Bramdean, Hampshire)
- Date: 1858
- Medium: Etching and drypoint; first (final) state (Harrington); third state of three (Schneiderman)
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 15/16 × 5 1/2 in. (22.7 × 14 cm)
Plate: 4 5/8 × 3 1/8 in. (11.7 × 8 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
- Object Number: 17.3.266
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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