Cat. No. 420/I, variant 1
Follow the Child within You
- State/Variant:
- State I of VII, variant
- Date:
- 1998
- Themes:
- Figures, Motherhood & Family, Nature, Objects
- Techniques:
- Drypoint
- Description:
- Drypoint, with red ink and pencil additions
- Support:
- Smooth, wove paper
- Dimensions:
- plate: 16 15/16 x 13 7/8" (43 x 35.3 cm); sheet: 21 x 18" (53.3 x 45.7 cm)
- Signature:
- Not signed
- Inscription:
- Verso: "SELF PORTRAIT with / my 3 little eggs / eva Peron, eva Zoisel, Eva Hess", lower right sheet, pencil, artist's hand; large sketch of nest and three eggs, center comp., red ink and red and blue crayon, artist's hand.
- Publisher:
- unpublished
- Printer:
- Harlan & Weaver, New York
- Edition:
- 2 known variant impressions of state I
- Impression:
- Not numbered
- Edition Information:
- Proof before the editioning of state VII.
- State Changes and Additions:
- Matrices:
The progression of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: boat outline and shading, waves, sky details, light sketch of figures in boat; usually printed in blue.
Plate 2: detailed figures in boat and rim of boat; printed in red.
Plate 3: shading in ocean; printed in blue.
State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in black.
Additions in pencil and red ink: "Harlem Family Institute" inscribed on boat, anticipating state II. - Background:
- The inscription on the verso of this impression refers to Eva Perón, Eva Zeisel, and Eva Hesse. Perón (1919–52) served as the First Lady of Argentina. Zeisel (1906–2011) was an American industrial designer and contemporary of Bourgeois. Hesse (1936–70) was an American sculptor whose work has been shown together with Bourgeois on several occasions.
State VII of this composition was published as a benefit for Harlem Family Institute, New York. The Harlem Family Institute is a multicultural psychoanalytic training institute in New York, founded in 1991. As of 2014, it provides two community services: free or affordable therapy to children and parents in underserved areas of New York, and training for aspiring psychoanalysts from diverse backgrounds. (A promotional brochure for the benefit edition gave an incorrect title, "Follow the Child in You" rather than "Follow the Child within You.") - Artist’s Remarks:
- Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: "when you do not know what to do follow the child within you"
- MoMA Credit Line:
- Gift of the artist
- MoMA Accession Number:
- 775.2008
- This Work in Other Collections:
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Follow the Child within You
1998-1999
Source
1998
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
Follow the Child within You
Red ink, pencil, and white correction fluid on paper
1998
Red ink, pencil, and white correction fluid on paper
1998
Studies
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
1998
States
State I of VII, variant
1998
1998
State I of VII, variant
1998
1998
State II of VII
1998
1998
State III of VII, variant
1998
1998
State III of VII, variant
1998
1998
State IV of VII
1998
1998
State V of VII
1998
1998
State VI of VII
1999
1999
Published
State VII of VII
1999
1999
-
-
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
