Happiness

Cat. No. 689.1/IV

Happiness

State/Variant:
Version 1 of 2, state IV of IV
Date:
2009
Themes
Body Parts, Figures, Motherhood & Family, Nature
Techniques
Drypoint, Engraving, Other Techniques
Support:
Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:
plate: 5 × 6 15/16" (12.7 × 17.6 cm); sheet: 11 15/16 × 11 7/16" (30.4 × 29 cm)
Signature:
Not signed
Publisher
unpublished
Printer
Harlan & Weaver
Edition:
1 known impression of version 1, state IV
Edition Information:
Not issued as a published edition at any state.
Impression:
Not numbered
Curatorial Remarks:
Toward the end of her life, Bourgeois made a large body of red gouache drawings related to the theme of Motherhood & Family. Bourgeois usually made several iterations of each scene, exploring pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, among other subjects related to new life. Some drawings were used as source works for print compositions. As the print composition evolved, Bourgeois continued to explore the same subject through drawing. See Related Works in Other Mediums below for examples.

It is conceivable that there was a state prior to version 1, state I, based on printer's inscriptions on the verso of the state I impression. However, the existing impressions do not exhibit print state changes that support this inscription, and no known examples of other states exist. The progression of this composition was thus determined by what is found on the existing prints, and the printer's inscriptions were disregarded.
Descriptive Title:
Five Breasts
Description:
Drypoint, engraving, and mezzotint
State Changes and Additions:
Matrices:
The progression of version 1 of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 2 plates in 3 different techniques.

Plate 1, in drypoint and engraving: breasts, mounds, and figures.

Plate 2, in mezzotint: shading.

State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in black. Plate 2 printed in red.
Changes from version 1, state III, in plate 2, by burnishing: some areas of shading lightened.
Other Remarks:
According to Felix Harlan and Carol Weaver of Harlan & Weaver, New York, this is Bourgeois's first experimentation with mezzotint. She became interested in mezzotint after seeing the tonal range that could be achieved with scraped aquatint. Mezzotint can have a similar effect, with more refined tonal range and unique textural possibilities.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
1606.2012
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Happiness

2009

Source

2009

Happiness
First Version
Happiness
Happiness
Happiness
Happiness
Happiness
Happiness
Second Version
Happiness
Happiness
Happiness

Related Works in the Catalogue

Untitled (Hills), in Les Arbres (6), from the editioned series of portfolios, Les Arbres (1-6)
Beautiful Night
Untitled
Untitled
Blue Is the Color of Your Eyes

Related Works in Other Mediums

Maman
Happiness
Happiness
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants
Les Enfants