The Etchings of John Copley

The following list is based on the entries in the artist’s record book. Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of impressions recorded by the artist. In some cases, he also noted the number of states, and this and other information from the record book is given in italics. References to the number of states given at the end of each entry have been derived from the prints remaining in the artist’s estate. If dimensions are not given, it indicates that no impression has been traced.

Those etchings recorded in Fine Prints of the Year from 1927 to 1936 were issued in editions of between 20 and 30. Thereafter printings were usually no more than 20 and sometimes less than 10. The later etchings were not printed in uniform editions, but frequently show a variety of effects in their inking.

The numbers given to each etching were first used in the catalogue of the exhibition John Copley & Ethel Gabain at Garton & Cooke in 1985. There are three minor anomalies but the numbering has not been changed, to avoid confusion: there are two studies of Chinese men, although only one was listed. They are given as 60 and 60a, although it is likely that they were done in the opposite order. Eva [91] appears to be the first state of Eva Against the Window [92], but may have been exhibited before the additional work. Two people [133] and The Prodigal Son [134] are in fact the same print.

The date given by the artist for each print refers to publication or first exhibition, and proofs exist in some cases with earlier dates written in his hand in the margin.