The Rectory

Cat. No. 752.2/IV

The Rectory

State/Variant:
Version 2 of 2, state IV of IV
Date:
2004
Themes
Architecture
Techniques
Drypoint
Support:
Smooth, wove Hahnemühle paper
Dimensions:
plate: 10 x 10" (25.4 x 25.4 cm); sheet: 17 x 15" (43.2 x 38.1 cm)
Signature:
"Louise Bourgeois 2004" lower right margin, pencil.
Publisher
Harlan & Weaver
Printer
Harlan & Weaver
Edition:
10; plus 5 A.P., 4 P.P., 2 H.C., 1 B.A.T., 1 T.P., 2 unsigned exhibition proofs
Edition Information:
There is 1 known variant impression of version 2, state IV, outside the edition.
Impression:
"hc 1/2" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.
Background:
This work depicts the rectory of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, located across the street from the artist's home on West 20th Street. Bourgeois first made the 2002 sculpture of the building, seen below in Related Works in Other Mediums, as a benefit for the church. In order to create the sculpture, a precise architectural drawing was drafted for the artist. Bourgeois made 2 double-sided photocopies of the architectural drawing to aid in the development of the drypoint composition and adjust its scale.

According to the Louise Bourgeois Studio, the drypoint "Saturday Morning" is based on Bourgeois's observation of people lining up on Saturday morning to receive packages of food from the rectory.
Curatorial Remarks:
The diagonal line on the right side of building was added to represent the railing for a ramp that leads down to a lower level of the building. Bourgeois inscribed a note to anticipate this state change on the recto of Study 2, seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below.
Description:
Drypoint
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from version 1, in drypoint: image transferred to new plate and increased in scale; building and fence further delineated.
Changes from version 2, state III: top of plate trimmed.
Changes from version 2, state III, in drypoint: diagonal line added to right side of building.
Other Remarks:
According to Harlan & Weaver, New York, the 2 unsigned exhibition proofs were for in-studio handling purposes only.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
323.2009
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

The Rectory

2003-2004

Studies
The Rectory (recto) (Study for The Rectory)
The Rectory (verso) (Study for The Rectory)
The Rectory (recto) (Study for The Rectory)
The Rectory (verso) (Study for The Rectory)
First Version
The Rectory
Second Version
The Rectory
The Rectory
The Rectory
The Rectory
The Rectory

Related Works in the Catalogue

Who, Where, When, Why, What
Saturday Morning
Maison

Related Works in Other Mediums

The Rectory
Femme Maison
The Iodine Scene
Cell (Choisy)
Cell (Choisy Two)
The Institute
Choisy