Thomas Robert Way

The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press)

Thomas Robert Way's original lithograph, The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press) is based upon a painting Way made in 1880. This lithograph is printed upon smooth wove paper and with full margins as published in Memories of James McNeill Whistler in 1912. It is a superb, original example of the lithographic art created by the British artist, author and lithographic printer, Thomas R. Way.

Both T. R. Way and his father, Thomas Way, worked closely with James McNeill Whistler and printed most of his lithographs and a number of his etchings. The quarters in Ayr (or Air) Street had been provided by the Fine Art Society for Whistler to finish the printing of the plates that would later be known as the First Venice Set. Thomas Robert Way writes;

"The Society had had it fitted up with a drugget to protect the carpet, a bench, with gas fittings for the hot plate, etc., and a printing press. In the spare time I made a little painting of the interior, with Whistler at work, biting a plate, and my father by the window, which I have reproduced; in the foreground is a curious dog, which some very misguided friend had given him, I think in Venice. It was a white "Pom," and led a miserable existence, as we had no accommodations for animals. It was a great responsibility, and I don't think Whistler was fond of such pets. I could not get it to "sit" for me."

Thomas R. Way, Memories of James McNeill Whistler, London, John Lane, 1912, pp. 42 & 43.

Original Lithograph by the British artist and printer, Thomas Robert Way 'Thomas R. Way'.

The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press)

View Other Original Lithographs by Thomas Robert Way

Thomas Robert Way (London, 1861 - 1913)
#	Image	Title & Artist	Medium	Date	Notes	-
01-		Cremorne Gardens by Thomas Robert Way designed by James McNeill Whistler	Original Lithographs	1912	Printed and created by T. R. Way after a painting by J. A. M. Whistler for Memories of James McNeill Whistler. No further impressions or restrikes were issue.
02-		Sketch of Whistler whilst He was Retouching a Stone by Thomas Robert Way	Original Lithographs	1912	Signed in the stone by Thomas R. Way. Printed and created by T. R. Way for Memories of James McNeill Whistler.	Sold
03.-		The Room in Ayr Street, Whistler at his Printing Press by Thomas Robert Way	Original Lithographs	1912	Printed and created by T. R. Way for Memories of James McNeill Whistler. No further impressions or restrikes were issue.	Sold

View Other Original Lithographs by James McNeill Whistler

James McNeill Whistler (Lowell, MA, 1834 - London, 1903)
#	Image	Title & Artist	Medium	Date	Notes	-
01-		Billingsgate by James McNeill Whistler	Original Etching	1859	Catalogue #Kennedy 47, Eighth State of Eight as published by Macmillan and Co., London for P. G. Hamerton's set entitled, "Etching and Etchers"	Sold
02.-		Grande Rue, Dieppe & An Interior by James McNeill Whistler	Two Original Lithographs	1891	Catalogue #59, First and only State as published by John Lane, London in "Memories of James McNeill Whistler" & printed by Thomas R. Way.	Sold
03.-		The Doctor Portrait of my Brother by James McNeill Whistler	Original Lithograph	1895	Catalogue #117, First and only State as published by Henry & Co., 93 St. Martin's Lane, London for "The Pageant" and printed by Thomas R. Way.	Sold
04.-		Sketching by James McNeill Whistler	Original Etching	1861-62	Catalogue #83. Fifth State of Six, with 'Pl. 45' engraved in the upper right corner. Published by Day & Son, London for Passages from Modern English Poets Illustrated by the Junior Etching Club
05.-		The Punt by James McNeill Whistler	Original Etching	1861-62	Catalogue #82. Fifth State of Six, with 'Pl. 7' engraved in the upper right corner. Published by Day & Son, London for Passages from Modern English Poets Illustrated by the Junior Etching Club

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Title:	The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press)
Lithographer:	Way, Thomas Robert (London, 1861 - 1913)
Designer:	Way, Thomas Robert (London, 1861 - 1913)
Date:	1912
Medium:	Original Lithograph
Printer:	T. R. Way
Source:	Thomas R. Way's, Memories of James McNeill Whistler
Note:	Thomas Robert Way 'Thomas R. Way': Artist, author and lithographic printer, Thomas Robert Way first studied printmaking under his father, Thomas Way (1837-1915). T. R. Way and Thomas Way introduced Whistler to the art of lithography in 1878. From 1884 to about 1902 Whistler produced almost two hundred lithographs, which were printed by the Ways. Thomas Robert Way formed a close, working friendship with Whistler. Besides Memories of James McNeill Whistler (1912), he also was the author of Mr. Whistler's Lithographs (1905) and The Art of James McNeill Whistler (1903).
	T. R. Way was a student of the South Kensington Art Schools. He exhibited his paintings and prints annually at the Royal Academy and elsewhere from 1883 to 1912. He also was highly regarded for his landscape and city views and was the illustrator of Reliques of Old London (1896). Today the art of Thomas Robert Way will be found in such public collections as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
	James McNeill Whistler: Whistler is one of the truly great painters of the nineteenth century. Yet it is in his oeuvre of original etchings and lithographs that his true genius becomes most apparent and his influence upon the development of twentieth century art is at its most far reaching. Whistler turned first to etching and his initial great works in this medium date from the mid 1850’s when he lived in Paris and met such artists as Degas, Legros and Courbet. The finest of these early etchings, now known as The French Set, show the work of an artist as worthy in his architectural views as Meryon and as perceptive in his figure studies and portraits as Rembrandt. His greatest work, however, still lay ahead.
	Whistler made London his permanent home in 1858. It was here -- despite the personal battles he fought, such as his lengthy feud with his brother-in-law, Seymour Haden, and his notorious legal war with John Ruskin -- that his truly revolutionary art emerges. This begins in 1859 with James McNeill Whistler’s etchings of London and its dockyards (later called The Thames Set) where a much more free and sympathetic line is developed.
	The 1870’s and 1880’s mark some of the greatest achievements in James McNeill Whistler’s etched art. Several visits to Venice created the spark. In the Venice etchings one sees the beginnings of a new and vital method of perception. K. M. Guichard writes of these etchings, “Their mastery of tone, their almost calligraphic economy of statement, and their hinting and persuading, give them a unique and unrivalled position in the history of art.” * These words could also be used to describe Whistler’s lithographic art.
	James McNeill Whistler’s first serious attempts with lithography date from 1878 and 1879 when he worked under the encouragement of Thomas Way (1837-1915) and his son, Thomas Robert Way (1861-1913), then the leading London lithographic printers. At this time he created seventeen original lithographs and then departed for Venice. Whistler returned to the medium in 1887 and devoted much of his artistic efforts to lithography until his death. In total, Whistler created 196 original lithographs during his career.
	Perhaps more than any other field of Whistler’s art, the lithographs provide the artist's most intimate and personal approach. Many depict informal studies of models in the studio, scenes of everyday, outdoor life and portraits of friends and relations.
	The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press) is based upon a painting Thomas Robert Way made in 1880. Both T. R. Way and his father, Thomas Way, worked closely with James McNeill Whistler and printed most of his lithographs and a number of his etchings. The quarters in Ayr Street, or (Air Street) had been provided by the Fine Art Society for Whistler to finish the printing of the plates that would later be known as the First Venice Set.
Reference:	* Kenneth M. Guichard, "British Etchers: 1850 - 1940", London, Robin Garton, 1981, pp. 66 - 68.
	* *Thomas R. Way, "Memories of James McNeill Whistler", London, John Lane, 1912, p. 125.
Size:	4 X 5 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	Matted with 100% Archival Materials
Condition:	Printed upon smooth wove paper and with full margins as published in Memories of James McNeill Whistler in 1912. No further impressions or restrikes were issued. A finely printed impression and in very good condition throughout. The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press) represents a superb, original example of the lithographic art of Thomas Robert Way.
Note:	The original tissue guard with the title is included with this purchase.
Subject:	Thomas Robert Way, T. R. Way, James McNeill Whistler, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, The Room in Ayr Street (Whistler at his Printing Press), original lithograph, First Venice Set, Memories of James McNeill Whistler, portraits of Whistler, Fine Art Society.
Price:	Sold - The price is no longer available.
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