Hang On!

Cat. No. 1121

Hang On!

State/Variant:
Only state
Date:
2005

Themes
Body Parts
Techniques
Etching
Support:
Paper
Dimensions:
plate: 29 13/16 × 21 13/16" (75.7 × 55.4 cm); sheet: 38 1/2 × 29 5/8" (97.8 × 75.2 cm)
Signature:
"Louise Bourgeois" lower right margin, pencil.
Publisher
Osiris
Printer
Wingate Studio
Edition:
12
Edition Information:
This plate was issued in 3 separate editions, all titled "Hang On!" and in the illustrated book, "Hang On."

About the edition of 12:
The hand additions vary across this edition. For comparison, see multiple impressions in the Evolving Composition Diagram below. Bourgeois and the publisher designated each impression in this edition as a study. (Usually in this catalogue, the term study describes photocopies and tracings that were used in the process of developing a composition.)

About the edition of 7:
This edition is printed in black ink and numbered in Arabic numerals. There are slightly varying pencil additions on each.

About the edition of 5:
This edition is printed in red ink and numbered in Roman numerals. There are slightly varying colored pencil additions on each.

About the illustrated book edition:
Of the announced edition of 9 unbound and 12 bound, only 9 unbound examples were realized.

There are varying hand additions across the edition of illustrated books. Impression number 5/9 was also available for examination by MoMA cataloguers, but was not available for reproduction. In that example, plate 12 has selective wiping and red crayon additions.

There are two proofs before the editioning of the only state in the various editions. The black ink proof is seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below. The other known proof is printed in red ink and is not illustrated here.
Impression:
Study 1/12
Curatorial Remarks:
The paper type and impression number could not be fully documented because this work is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person.
Description:
Soft ground etching, with red watercolor and pencil additions
Inscription:
"hang on!" lower left margin, pencil, artist's hand.
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Hang On! ; Untitled, plate 12 of 17, from the illustrated book, Hang On

2002-2004

Source

1959

Hang On
States
Hang On!
Untitled, plate 12 of 17, from the illustrated book, Hang On
Hang On!
Hang On!
Hang On!
Hang On!
Hang On!
Hang On!

Illustrated Book

2004

Hang On

Related Works in the Catalogue

Hands
Untitled, no. 6 of 11, from the series, Extreme Tension
Untitled, no. 1 of 11, from the series, Extreme Tension