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Reginald Marsh (1898-1954), Fan Dance at Jimmy Kelly’s, etching, 1936, signed and inscribed 50 proofs (only 24 known printed) [also with the initials and date in the plate lower left]. Reference: Sasowsky 161, third state (of 3). In very good condition, with wide margins, on Rives cream wove paper (with the Rives watermark). 6 x5, the sheet 9 1/2 x 7 inches. Archival mounting.
A fine, delicately printed impression.
Fandance was printed in three states; the design was essentially complete in the first state and small changes were made for the second and third states. Two proofs were made of each of the first and second states; Sasowsky indicates that although Marsh noted that an edition of 50 impressions was scheduled, only 20 impressions of the third state were printed.
The Marsh notation “50 impressions” represented wishful thinking as to the size of the edition on his part. In Thomas Craven’s Treasury of American Prints (1939), Marsh is quoted as saying in response to a question about the size of his editions: “Since I do practically all my own printing, I do not limit the edition. The buyer limits the edition – he rarely buys, I rarely print. I usually print fifteen or twenty and sell one or two in the next five years – so why limit the edition?” (That was in 1939; today of course Marsh’s etchings are treasured as icons of American printmaking in the ’20’s and 30’s.)
