The Willows
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."
A meandering path leading to a row of willow trees; two of them with bare leaves seen at right; two lambs laying in foreground at lower left.
"State IV (H1). The foreground weeds in the lower left and most of the grass in the middle distance removed. The path, now well defined, winds towards the left till lost among the trees. Two lambs lying in grass have been added to the left foreground. The inscription added in state I removed, and replaced by 'Seymour Haden 1877' (D, l.r.)."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 333]
"Published States: First.-The foreground weeds, and most of the grass in the middle distance removed. There is now a well-defined pathway winding towards the left till lost behind the trees. To the left, in front, two lambs lying down. The signature which was to the left is erased, and 'Seymour Haden 1877' added in right lower corner."
[Source: Harrington, p. 92]
A meandering path leading to a row of willow trees; two of them with bare leaves seen at right; two lambs laying in foreground at lower left.
"State IV (H1). The foreground weeds in the lower left and most of the grass in the middle distance removed. The path, now well defined, winds towards the left till lost among the trees. Two lambs lying in grass have been added to the left foreground. The inscription added in state I removed, and replaced by 'Seymour Haden 1877' (D, l.r.)."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 333]
"Published States: First.-The foreground weeds, and most of the grass in the middle distance removed. There is now a well-defined pathway winding towards the left till lost behind the trees. To the left, in front, two lambs lying down. The signature which was to the left is erased, and 'Seymour Haden 1877' added in right lower corner."
[Source: Harrington, p. 92]
Artwork Details
- Title: The Willows
- Artist: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (British, London 1818–1910 Bramdean, Hampshire)
- Date: 1877
- Medium: Etching; first state of two (Harrington); fourth state of six (Schneiderman)
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 7/16 × 13 7/16 in. (21.5 × 34.2 cm)
Plate: 5 7/8 × 8 15/16 in. (15 × 22.7 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
- Object Number: 17.3.2081
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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