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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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Cat. No. 670/IV, variant 3

Untitled

State/Variant:
State IV of IV, variant
Date:
2003-2005
Descriptive Title:
Boy Through a Keyhole
Themes:
Faces & Portraits, Figures, Motherhood & Family
Techniques:
Drypoint, Engraving
Description:
Drypoint and engraving, with selective wiping
Support:
Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:
plate: 11 1/8 x 8 3/4" (28.2 x 22.2 cm); sheet: 14 x 11 1/4" (35.5 x 28.5 cm)
Signature:
Not signed
Publisher:
unpublished
Printer:
Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:
5 known impressions of state IV
Impression:
Not numbered
Edition Information:
Not issued as a published edition at any state.

The additional known impression of this state is not in MoMA's Collection. It is not illustrated due to its similarity to the impressions seen here. It is inscribed by the artist "'Alain' for Jean-Louis" in the lower middle margin, and signed "Louise May 19/2004" in the lower right margin, both in red ink.
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from state III, in drypoint: Adam's apple added; shading added to eye.
Changes from state III, in engraving: hair increased.
Background:
In 2003, "Radar," a now defunct magazine, asked Bourgeois to participate in a "Talking Heads" series. The premise was for each participating artist to receive the same photocopy of a head in profile. The artists were then asked to add hand additions in whatever fashion they chose. The black outlined profile head, seen in the Source drawing in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, was provided by "Radar" to Bourgeois. (The profile outline is also seen here as a Study and as a Related Work in Other Mediums.) The Louise Bourgeois Studio has no record that the "Talking Heads" collaboration with Bourgeois ever came to fruition. However, Bourgeois went on to use the profile outline as the basis of the composition seen here, ultimately combined with a keyhole motif.
Artist’s Remarks:
Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: "false memory syndrom— / memories of parents as molestors / Hysteria / skitzophrenia / paranoia / to punish / henry / Lowenfeld / Yulla + Jack Lipschitz founda / tion" (sic) across sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
Curatorial Remarks:
Henry Lowenfeld was the psychoanalyst Bourgeois worked with intensively in the period of the 1950's into the 1960's, as well as intermittenly until Lowenfeld died in 1985. The inscription that follows refers to the artist Jacques Lipchitz and his organization, the Jacques and Yulla Lipchitz Foundation.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
1752.2008

Untitled
2003-2005

Source
2003

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled
Photocopy, with ink and pencil on paper
2003

Studies

Louise Bourgeois. Untitled (Study for Untitled). 2003
Study
2003

States

Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
State I of IV
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
State II of IV
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
State III of IV
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
State IV of IV
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003
State IV of IV, variant
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003-2005
State IV of IV, variant
2003-2005
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled. 2003-2005
State IV of IV, variant
2003-2005