Sunset on the Thames (Coucher de Soleil sur la Tamise)

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 the Thames river; sunset in background at center; sailboat in middleground at left; head of a man swiming in lower right.
"Published States: Second.-The interval between the two rays in filled in by new work, and stratus, obliquely disposed, are forming towards the horizon. The reflections of the barge and the foreground ripples are much strengthened by the addition of dry-point. In the earlier impressions a boy swimming may be seen on the right. Published in Études à l'eau-forte. In some copies in the First, in others in the Second State. (No.V)."
[Source: Harrington, p. 45]
"State V (D2, H2). Published in Études à l'eau-forte (No.V). Additional drypoint work which fills in the interval between the two rays on the left, rays on right shaded with oblique lines and additional stratus above the sun between the strong rays. A vertical dotted line rises to upper part of center of plate. The reflections of the barge adn the foreground ripples are strengthened by drypoint work. A boy swimming on the right has been drawn in drypoint, but this quickly wore. Some of the impressions are very dramatic because of ink hand-painted on the plate."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 199]