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Proof before the editioning of states XII and XIII. This composition was also issued as a published edition at state II.
State Changes and Additions:
Matrices: The progression of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: overall linear composition; printed in black. Plate 2: fill in lakes, and later, larger cloud form; usually printed in blue, sometimes in red, pink, and gray. Plate 3: fill in mountains and smaller cloud form; printed in blue and/or red.
Print State Changes: Plate 1 printed in black, over plate 2 printed in blue, over plate 3 printed in red. Plates 3 and 4 partially uninked. Changes from state IX, by burnishing: fill in mountains selectively removed. Additions in blue ink: contours of lakes delineated, anticipating state XIII.
Background:
State XIII was published as a benefit for Chalcographie of the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Curatorial Remarks:
For this impression, the smaller cloud form and the fill in the lakes were not inked.
The type of paper could not be documented because this impression is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from an impression in MoMA's Collection. The sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.
Other Remarks:
According to Bourgeois's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, this composition depicts mountains in Switzerland and likely references the artist's memories of visits there in her youth, especially for skiing.
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