22. Charles Samuel Keene
(1823-1891)

Portrait of Mrs. Heseltine

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Keene, Portrait Mrs. Heseltine

Portrait of Mrs. Heseltine

Etching, unknown date, 131 x 82 mm. A fine, strong impression on laid japan paper with good margins, signed with the signature stamp. Keene pursued etching not for its own sake but only to improve his draughtsmanship and only three of his plates were published during his lifetime. The others were, against the artist's wishes, saved from destruction after his death and published as a portfolio, each impression bearing the facsimile signature stamp. One might search endlessly to find relationships between Keene's etchings and Whistler's, but the men knew, liked and admired each other, different as they were. Whistler declared (in characteristic overstatement) that Keene, most of whose professional work consisted of illustrations for Punch magazine, was the greatest English artist since Hogarth. But, clearly, Keene could draw exceptionally well, quite unlike many of Whistler's contemporaries, and the great man responded to that.