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The Willows

1877
Not on view
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 to right.
"State II (Hb). The two small tree trunks on the left extended in outline to the top of the plate."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 333]
"Trial Proofs: (b) The two tree-trunks now reach the upper plate mark."
[Source: Harrington, p. 92]

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Willows
  • Artist: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (British, London 1818–1910 Bramdean, Hampshire)
  • Date: 1877
  • Medium: Etching; trial proof b (Harrington); second state of six (Schneiderman)
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 8 in. × 12 5/16 in. (20.3 × 31.3 cm)
    Plate: 5 7/8 × 8 15/16 in. (15 × 22.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.3.2080
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Penton Hook, Sir Francis Seymour Haden British, Etching and drypoint; first (final) state (Harrington); fifth state of six (Schneiderman)
Penton Hook
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1864
Plate 22 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Even worse' (Tanto y mas), Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish, Etching, burin (proof impression)
Plate 22 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Even worse' (Tanto y mas)
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
1810
Penton Hook, Sir Francis Seymour Haden British, Etching and drypoint; trial proof c (Harrington); third state of six (Schneiderman)
Penton Hook
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1864
Plate18 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Bury them and keep quiet' (Enterrar y callar), Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish, Etching, drypoint, burin (working proof)
Plate18 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Bury them and keep quiet' (Enterrar y callar)
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
1810
The Mouth of a Brook, No. 1, Sir Francis Seymour Haden British, Etching and drypoint; first state of two (Schneidermann); trial proof a (Harrington)
The Mouth of a Brook, No. 1
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1859

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