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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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Cat. No. 354e/III, variant 4

Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature

State/Variant:
State III of V, variant
Date:
c. 2003
Series:
The Laws of Nature (View All)
Themes:
Fabric Works, Figures
Techniques:
Drypoint
Description:
Drypoint
Support:
Silk
Dimensions:
plate: 4 3/4 x 5 3/4" (12 x 14.6 cm); sheet: 8 x 52 1/2" (20.3 x 133.4 cm)
Signature:
"LB" right lower sheet, black ink.
Publisher:
unpublished
Printer:
Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:
4 known variant impressions of state III (1 on a scarf)
Impression:
Not numbered
Edition Information:
Proof before the illustrated book edition of state IV on paper, and the illustrated book edition of state V on fabric.

This impression is part of a series on a scarf, with the plates in a different order from the published editions. For consistency, the plate numbers for the untitled compositions remain the same throughout this project. The order on the scarf is as follows: plate 1, plate 4, plate 3, plate 2, plate 5.

There are several other unpublished but signed formats of “The Laws of Nature:” a series on fabric, printed in black, in 2 known examples, and a series on fabric, printed in red, in 1 known example. (See the Evolving Composition Diagram.) The states of the plates within the various series sometimes differ from the states within the published editions.

There are also two sets of plates, printed in red, with no signatures. One set, from c. 2003, is on silk; the other, from c. 2006, is on paper. Since the prints in these sets have no signatures, the sets are not considered to be completed series.

There is 1 additional initialed impression of this composition on a heavy textured fabric, printed in black. It does not make up part of a series.
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from state II in drypoint: female figure's hair and shoes further delineated; male figure's hair and penis further delineated; various contours reinforced.
Background:
The artist told printer Felix Harlan that the figures in this series are playing an adult version of a French children's game, known as "faire des galipettes," meaning to do somersaults. In fact, the expression "faire des galipettes" is also slang for having sex, a punning reference that Bourgeois must have enjoyed.
Curatorial Remarks:
The dimensions of this impression could not be documented beacuse this work is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from the published impression on paper in MoMA's Collection. Plate dimensions of fabric works often vary slightly due to stretching. Sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.

In contrast to the designation "illustrated book," which contains text, this catalogue designates as a "series" those instances where there is no text accompanying a group of related plates.

Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature
2003-2006

States

Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2000-2001
State I of V, variant
2000-2001
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2000-2001
State I of V, variant
2000-2001
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2000-2001
State II of V
2000-2001
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2000-2001
State III of V, variant
2000-2001
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2000-2001
State III of V, variant
2000-2001
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State III, of V, variant
c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State III of V, variant
c. 2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
State IV of V, variant
c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State IV of V, variant
c. 2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
State IV of V, variant
c. 2003
Published Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2003
State IV of V
2003
Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. c. 2006
State V of V, variant
c. 2006
Published Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature. 2006
State V of V
2006

Illustrated Book
2003

Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. 2003
The Laws of Nature
2003
More About This Work

Illustrated Book
2006

Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. 2006
The Laws of Nature
2006
More About This Work

Series
c. 2003

Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
The Laws of Nature
c. 2003
More About This Work

Series
2001-2003

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. 2001-2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION The Laws of Nature
2001-2003
More About This Work

Series
c. 2003

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION The Laws of Nature
c. 2003
More About This Work

Series
c. 2003

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. The Laws of Nature. c. 2003
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION The Laws of Nature
c. 2003
More About This Work