a rare and important set of the six progressive state proofs and an impression from the final state of this print, the proofs each initialled and numbered 2/2 in pencil, the final state signed, dated and inscribed A/P in pencil, an artist's proof, the edition was 75, printed by Maurice Payne, at Petersburg Studios, published by Ptersburg Press, all on wove paper, the full sheets printed to the edges, each sheet 445 x 600 mm (17 1/2 x 23 5/8 in) It is incredibly rare to see state proofs for editions by Hodgkin, and this set gives us a rare insight into the artist's working practice. Perhaps the most intriguing element is the presence of a blue aquatint plate, it was previously assumed that the image was made up of only three colours, black, red and orange, however, the addition of the pale blue plate adds a level of depth to the other colours, giving them a shimmer like quality. IMPORTANT: This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.