James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) The Fleet: Monitors, from the ‘ Naval Review’ set Etching and drypoint, 1887, presumably first state (of two) before horizontal lines on the left tall mast at centre, one of twelve prints in this series, a fine impression, trimmed by the artist and signed with the butterfly on the tab Sheet: 33 x 24.7 cm Provenance: P. & D. Colnaghi, London, 1974 Literature: Kennedy 318; Glasgow 306 The etching depicts the Golden Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria, which included a Naval Review at Spithead on a hot summer day. Whistler as President of the Society of British Artists was invited to attend. He made twelve etchings during the day. Monitors were iron-clad warships with armoured gun-turrets, named after the famous American warship, the Monitor. Glasgow records 12 impressions in museums and 5 examples ‘whereabouts unknown’. Previously noted as an undescribed first state (of two) before horizontal lines on the hull