LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Themes:

Nature

Techniques:

Aquatint, Drypoint

Description:

Drypoint and aquatint, with red ink additions

Support:

Smooth, wove paper

Dimensions:

plate: 9 15/16 × 9 15/16" (25.3 × 25.2 cm); sheet: 14 15/16 x 14" (38 x 35.5 cm)

Signature:

"Louise Bourgeois" lower right margin, pencil.

Inscription:

Verso: "Je suis une Ravaudeuse / Sur les Bords de la Creuze / Je me sens tres heureuse / et ne suis pas une gueuze / Sur les bords de la Creuze / Je ne suis pas peureuse ni boiteuse/ ni affreuse, ni honteuse, ni voyeuse / ni toucheuse ni allumeuse, ni/ grincheuse ni tousseuse ou souffreteuse. / Je me sens tres heureuse sur les Bords / de la Creuze / Sept 1998" center sheet, red ink, artist's hand.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

4 known variant impressions of state II

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

Not issued as a published edition at any state.

State Changes and Additions:

Matrices:
The progression of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: contours of map shape and faint interior details; printed in black.
Plate 2: rivers; printed in blue.
Plate 3: various dots indicating cities; printed in red.

Print State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in black, over plate 2 printed in blue, over plate 3 printed in red.
Changes from state I, in drypoint: rivers further delineated in lower left composition.
Changes from state I, in aquatint: rivers and dots indicating cities added overall.

Background:

According to Felix Harlan, of Harlan & Weaver, New York, Bourgeois's map compositions stem from her desire to sort through memories and associations with different places. The artist used preexisting maps as references for her own abstracted compositions, excluding the information essential to map reading. In this way, the maps served more as personal documents for the artist, rather than as references or guides.

The tapestry town Aubusson is located in the Creuse River Valley and was home to Bourgeois's mother's ancestors. The artist's affection for this region is evident in the inscriptions on the versos of state II, variant 3 and 4.

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

1393.2008

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY