E.162 Model 2010; reworked 2011

• I. 1st state of 6, 2010

  

  Etching and drypoint. A three-quarter-length life study of a female model, standing frontally with her arms folded behind her back. Her drooped head is turned to the right, causing her hair to cover much of her face, but revealing her profile. Foul biting is evident at the left of the plate.

  Impression on wove BFK Rives paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-1’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

• II. 2nd state of 6, 2010

  

  More drypoint hatching has been added to the hair near the left shoulder, to the hip, and to the inner right thigh.

  Impression with rich burr, on wove BFK Rives paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-2’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

• III. 3rd state of 6, 2010

  

  The oblique hatching on the upper arm at left and on the hip has been burnished away. More of the forehead has been covered by the hair. The speckled effect of the hair in this impression is due to the way the plate has been wiped.

  Impression on wove BFK Rives paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-3’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

• IV. 4th state of 6, 2010

  

  More drypoint has been added to the upper left of the pubic hair.

  Impression on wove BFK Rives paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-4’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

• V. 5th state of 6, 2010

  Cross-hatching has been added to both breasts to emphasize their roundness.

  Impression on wove Arches paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-5’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

• Edition, 2010

  Edition of ten numbered impressions, on wove BFK Rives paper, printed by Rosalind Atkins at Kate Herd’s studio, Alphington. The edition included an artist’s proof. Each impression is inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘[status of impression]’ [or] ‘[1 through 10]/10’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’10’.

  Edition sheet size: 381 x 283 mm

• VI. 6th and final state, 2011

  More drypoint was added on 11 August 2011. The model’s hair has been burnished back, with the change revealing more of the face, which has been redrawn. Drypoint has been added to the lower left arm, the left thigh, the abdomen, and the pubic hair. A short vertical drypoint stroke now appears above the left shoulder. There are two variant impressions of this state. Amor’s records indicate that he also printed two artist’s proofs; these have not been sighted.

  1. Impression with plate tone, on cream wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-1’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’11’. Although inscribed ‘1-1’, this is an impression of the sixth and final state.
  2. Impression with plate tone, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2-1’; lower centre: ‘Model’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor ’11’. Although inscribed ‘2-1’, this is an impression of the sixth and final state.(Featured Image)

• VI.b. 6th and final state, 2011 (Featured Image)

  

  More drypoint was added on 11 August 2011. The model’s hair has been burnished back, with the change revealing more of the face, which has been redrawn. Drypoint has been added to the lower left arm, the left thigh, the abdomen, and the pubic hair. A short vertical drypoint stroke now appears above the left shoulder. There are two variant impressions of this state. Amor’s records indicate that he also printed two artist’s proofs; these have not been sighted.

• Comment

  This etching is after a drawing from life, in which the model’s pose was based on that of the model in a life drawing by Edward Hopper (1882–1967), which Amor had found in a book (not yet located). Amor’s pen and ink sketch after the Hopper drawing is in his large ‘Studio Book 2006–07–08’ and is dated 4 March 2008.

  The modelling of the figure in E.162, which proceeded incrementally through the print’s first five states, was subtle, the most significant adjustments being those made to the hair; by the time the edition was printed, the hair was very dark and almost covered the model’s entire profile. In the sixth and final state, made after the printing of the edition, the hair was burnished back and the facial details reworked. At this point Amor ceased working on the plate.

  He returned to the subject in 2016 but rendered it as a lithograph.

  The copper plate on which E.162 was made has been lost.