LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Descriptive Title:

English translation: "The Reader"

Themes:

Architecture, Figures, Objects

Techniques:

Relief

Description:

Woodcut, with additions in red and blue ink

Support:

Wove, Japanese paper

Dimensions:

composition: 14 × 9 13/16" (35.5 × 25 cm); sheet (top portion): 8 3/4 × 11 15/16" (22.3 × 30.4 cm); sheet (bottom portion): 8 7/8 × 6" (22.5 × 15.3 cm)

Signature:

Not signed

Inscription:

"The liseuse [erased]" lower left margin, pencil, artist's hand. Verso: "chinese paper as a [cut off]" bottom of lower left fragment, pencil, artist's hand.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

The artist

Edition:

1 known impression of state II

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

Not issued as a published edition at any state.

State I is known only through microfilm (Archives of American Art, reel 54, frame 404; full sheet visible).

State Changes and Additions:

Matrices:
This composition included 2 different woodcut blocks.

Block 1: basic composition for all areas except figure, chair, and part of back wall; printed in blue.
Block 2: figure, chair, and part of back wall; printed in orange.

Changes from state I (known through microfilm), in woodcut: chair slightly altered; window panes removed.

Curatorial Remarks:

A segment of what appears to be missing lower left composition adhered to verso of upper sheet portion. A segment of newspaper adhered to verso of lower sheet portion. Removal of either segment would damage the sheet.

Former Cat. No.:

W & S 8

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

85.1994.a-b

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY