Iffley Mill
Sir Francis Seymour Haden British
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."
"Published State: First.-The reeds in the foreground on the right, and the words 'Etching Club' are removed. The clump of trees on the island re-drawn and changed in contour."
[Source: Harrington, p. 72]
"State V (D1, H1). Published in 'The Portfolio', VII (1876), 116. The sail of the barge is now heavily shaded at the top with horizontal lines. The outline of a bending figure has been added to the stern of the barge in drypoint, but because of the shadows the figure is partially obscured. During printing the drypoint work and lightly etched work wear."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 277]
