Cat. No. 420/VII
Follow the Child within You
- State/Variant:
- State VII of VII
- Date:
- 1999
- Themes
- Figures, Motherhood & Family, Nature, Objects
- Techniques
- Aquatint, Drypoint, Engraving
- Support:
- Smooth, wove Hahnemühle paper
- Dimensions:
- plate: 16 3/4 x 13 13/16" (42.5 x 35.1 cm); sheet: 24 x 20" (61 x 50.8 cm)
- Signature:
- "LB 99" lower right margin, pencil.
- Publisher
- Louise Bourgeois
- Printer
- Harlan & Weaver
- Edition:
- 50; plus 12 A.P., 4 P.P., 1 B.A.T.
- Impression:
- "a.p. 1/12" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.
- Background:
- 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.")
- Description:
- Drypoint, engraving, and aquatint
- Inscription:
- Verso: "The boat of life ought to be steered by the child in us" lower middle sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
- 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.
Change from state VI, in aquatint: tonal shading added to ocean and sky.
Change from state VI, in engraving: contours of figures darkened.
Change from state VI, by burnishing: figures’ skin lightened. - Benefit Work:
- For Harlem Family Institute, New York
- 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:
- 20.2002
- This Work in Other Collections:
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
State VII of VII
1999
Follow the Child within You
1998-1999
Source
1998
Follow the Child within You
1998
Follow the Child within You
1998
Medium: Red ink, pencil, and white correction fluid on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 11 x 8 1/2" (27.9 x 21.6 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You </i>(Study for <i>Follow the Child within You</i>)
1998
State I of VII, variant
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State I of VII, variant
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State II of VII
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State III of VII, variant
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State III of VII, variant
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State IV of VII
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State V of VII
1998
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1998
State VI of VII
1999
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1999
State VII of VII
1999
<i>Follow the Child within You</i>
1999
Related Works in the Catalogue
The Night
Version 2 of 2
2001
<i>The Night</i>
2001
Lacs de Montagne
State XIII of XIII
1997
<i>Lacs de Montagne</i>
1997
Noah's Ark
State I of II
c. 2002
<i>Noah's Ark</i>
c. 2002
Related Works in Other Mediums
Untitled (Double-Sided)
1998
Untitled (Double-Sided)
1998
Medium: a: Ballpoint pen, felt-tip pen, watercolor, and pencil on musical composition paper
b: Pencil on musical composition paper
Dimensions: 12 x 8 1/2" (30.5 x 21.6 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
1998
Untitled
1998
Medium: Ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 x 12" (22.9 x 30.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY