E.128 Standing nude 2003; reworked 2006 and 2009

• I. 1st state of 4, 2003

  

  Drypoint. A rear three-quarter-length view of a standing female nude with the fingers of her right hand resting on her left shoulder, and her head in three-quarter profile, tilted leftward. To the immediate right and left of the figure is a series of vertical striations. The background is pitted throughout with foul biting.

  Impression 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: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.

   

• II. 2nd state of 4, 2003

  Drypoint has been added to the hair and to the modelling of the back and buttocks. There are six variant impressions of this state.

  1. Selectively wiped impression on cream wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-2’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.
  2. Cleanly wiped impression on cream wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2-2’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.
  3. Dark impression with plate tone, on cream wove Hahnemühle paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘3-2’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.
  4. Impression on cream wove Hahnemühle paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP I’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.
  5. Impression on cream wove Hahnemühle paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP II’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.
  6. Impression on cream wove Hahnemühle paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP III’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 03’.

  Impressions II.d through II.f are variably printed.

• III. 3rd state of 4, 2006

  

  The contour of the body has been strengthened and its internal modelling lightly burnished in places, especially at the right. Strong vertical striations have been added to the immediate right and left of the figure, and dark horizontal bands have been added near the upper and lower plate mark.

  Impression with plate tone, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP IV’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 06’.

   

• IV. 4th and final state, 2009 (Featured Image)

  

  The drypoint modelling of the body has been burnished in places, especially in the area of the legs; however, some drypoint accents have also been added, notably at the mid left edge of the image. This new work was carried out in July 2009.

  Selectively wiped impression with plate tone, on wove BFK Rives paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1-1’; lower centre: ‘Standing Nude’; lower right: signed and dated ‘R Amor 09’. Although inscribed ‘1-1’, this is the fourth and final state.

   

• No edition

• Comment

  This drypoint was made after a life drawing of one of Amor’s favourite models, Ju-Yuen. The image was scored onto the verso of the copper plate that had been used previously for Afternoon, 1999, reworked 2002 (cat. no. E.120); this explains the presence of the pitted foul biting scattered over the surface of the plate. Amor deliberately incorporated this irregularity for its informal effect and for the attendant suggestions of intimacy. The model is depicted in a languid contrapposto pose but the sensuality of the image derives also from the velvety effects of the drypoint and, in a number of impressions, from the experimental wiping of the plate.

  After taking the plate through two states in 2003, Amor decided to set it aside; he returned to it three years later, in 2006, to make small adjustments, and then reworked it again in 2009. However, despite the carefully considered refinements he made to the image at each stage, he never editioned the work.