LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Alternate Title:

The Angry Cat

Themes:

Animals & Insects, Faces & Portraits

Techniques:

Drypoint

Description:

Drypoint, with red and gray gouache, blue watercolor, black crayon, and black ink additions

Support:

Paper

Dimensions:

plate: 9 15/16 x 11 15/16" (25.2 x 30.3 cm); sheet: 14 1/8 x 16 1/8" (35.9 x 41 cm)

Signature:

"LB" lower right margin, pencil.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

2 known variant impressions of state II

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

Proof before the editioning of state VII.

State Changes and Additions:

Changes from state I in drypoint: eyes, nose, and small, elliptical forms on forehead and mouth, all outlined and shaded.
Additions in gray gouache: small, elliptical forms overall shaded, anticipating state III; lines at bases of ears reinforced, anticipating state III.

Background:

In the 1950s, when Bourgeois was living with her husband and children in an apartment on 18th Street in New York City, the family had two cats: Champfleurette and Tyger.

Curatorial Remarks:

States I-VI of this composition are each titled "Champfleurette #2." The editioned state, state VII, is titled "The Angry Cat." (See also the 1993-1994 print, “Champfleurette, The White Cat,” in Related Works in the Catalogue below.)

The type of paper and plate dimensions are not documented because this impression is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from the published impression in MoMA's Collection.

Publisher Harlan & Weaver groups the editioned state of this composition with ten other drypoints of 1999, under the title, “11 Drypoints.” Each of the 11 compositions can be displayed individually. The full set is as follows:
“The Accident”
“The Angry Cat”
“Don’t Put Your Foot in Your Mouth”
“Fear”
“Feet (Socks)”
“Fences Are Obsolete”
“Madeleine”
“Mosquito”
“Mother and Child”
“Please Hang in There”
“The Smell of the Feet”

A tea towel merchandise item was made from this variant of state II (Cat. No. 404/II, variant 1). There are red whiskers on the tea towel that have faded on the print. A mouse pad merchandise item was from with a different variant of state II (Cat. No. 404/II, variant 2). A t-shirt merchandise item was made from state VI (Cat. No. 404/VI).

Bibliography:

Malbert, Roger, and Juliet Mitchell. "Louise Bourgeois: Autobiographical Prints." London: Hayward, 2016. (Catalogue accompanying the touring exhibition "Louise Bourgeois Prints: Autobiographical Series and 11 Drypoints".)

Public Collection:

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY