Untitled (#2) [working proof 1e]
1999
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
direct gravure on wove paper [working proof 1e]
Dimensions
plate: 15.5 × 17.2 cm (6 1/8 × 6 3/4 in.) sheet: 26.3 × 27 cm (10 3/8 × 10 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Kathan Brown
Accession Number
2024.132.505
Art Historical Context
Joan Nelson's *Untitled (#2) [ proof 1e]* (1999) is a delicate exploration in direct gravure, a meticulous printmaking technique where the artist paints or draws directly onto a light-sensitive gelatin tissue, which is then contact-printed onto a copper plate for etching. This working proof—marked "1e"—offers a rare glimpse into Nelson's iterative process, capturing subtle tonal gradations and textures on fine wove paper. Measuring just 15.5 × 17.2 cm on the plate (with a sheet of 26.3 × 27 cm), its intimate scale invites close contemplation, characteristic of late-20th-century printmaking's e...