LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Descriptive Title:

Woman with Crutch

Themes:

Figures, Objects

Techniques:

Drypoint

Description:

Drypoint

Support:

Smooth, wove paper

Dimensions:

plate: 7 15/16 x 5 1/4" (20.2 x 13.4 cm); sheet: 13 1/16 x 9 7/16" (33.2 x 24 cm)

Signature:

"LB" lower right margin, red ink.

Inscription:

"HC" lower left margin, red ink, artist's hand; [inscription obscured by correction fluid], "New York Oct 22/99" lower center to lower right margin, red ink, artist's hand. Verso: "Sept 22 '99" lower right sheet, pencil, artist's hand.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

3 known variant impressions of state II, outside the edition

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

The "HC" inscription, in the artist's hand, does not indicate a conventional H.C. impression, which would be identical to the published impressions.

The third known variant impression of this state is in MoMA’s Collection (Accession Number: 934.2008). It is not illustrated here due to its similarity to this impression.

State Changes and Additions:

Changes from state I, in drypoint: hair added, torso and shoes reinforced.

Artist’s Remarks:

Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: “La mère abandonée: exemple Pins him to the ground. / Perfe raison. / Boiteuse Bannister Daguerr. Brace. Breughel. and stick. / go one step back, one step back, another step back. / les mères abondonnées sur la glacier, Rings a Bell. / Bladder / Balustrade Cannes et Béquilles / Banister, walking stick and Brace / Bataille / de la / balustrade / trou du qu / trou d’éfé / Je vais te tuer avec mes béquilles dis le fils à sa mère / tu m'a tenu en béquille gare a toi / Henriette et sa canne / à la soup du salut en face, tout le monde a des / béquilles pour montrer l'escalier de pièrre (Breughel) / Brace and Brassière / fight to the finish”

Curatorial Remarks:

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”

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".)

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

935.2008

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY