Louise Bourgeois. Follow the Child within You (1999)

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Louise Bourgeois. Follow the Child within You. 1999

IMAGE PERMISSIONS

Cat. No. 420/VI

Follow the Child within You

State/Variant:: State VI of VII
Date:: 1999

Themes:: Figures, Motherhood & Family, Nature, Objects
Techniques:: Aquatint, Drypoint, Engraving
Description:: Drypoint, engraving, and aquatint
Support:: Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:: plate: 16 15/16 x 13 15/16" (43 x 35.4 cm); sheet: 22 1/4 x 16 7/8" (56.5 x 42.8 cm)
Signature:: "Louse Bourgeois. 99" lower right margin, pencil.
Inscription:: "AP/" lower left margin, pencil, artist's hand.
Publisher:: unpublished
Printer:: Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:: 1 known impression of state VI
Impression:: Not numbered
Edition Information:: Proof before the editioning of state VII.

The "AP/" inscription, in the artist's hand, does not indicate a conventional A.P. impression, which would be of the final state.
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 2 printed in red, over plate 1 printed in blue, and plate 3 printed in a different blue.
Changes from state V, in aquatint: waves darkened and figures' clothing further shaded.
Changes from state V, in engraving: contours of boat and waves darkened.
Change from state V, in drypoint: boat further shaded.
Background:: 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"
Curatorial Remarks:: It appears that for this impression, plate 1 was inked in teal blue on the lower half of the plate and in ultramarine blue on the upper half of the plate.
MoMA Credit Line:: Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:: 782.2008
This Work in Other Collections:: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York