LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Alternate Title:

Mountain Ponds 1993; Convulsions; Lacs de Montagne (red version)

Descriptive Title:

English Translation: "Mountain Lakes"

Themes:

Architecture, Nature

Techniques:

Aquatint, Drypoint, Engraving, Etching

Description:

Engraving, etching, aquatint, and drypoint

Support:

Smooth, wove Somerset paper

Dimensions:

plate: 18 1/16 x 23 7/8" (45.9 x 60.6 cm); sheet: 23 13/16 x 29" (60.5 x 73.7 cm)

Signature:

"Louise Bourgeois. 97" lower right margin, pencil.

Publisher:

The artist

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

16

Impression:

"2/16" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.

Edition Information:

This composition was also issued as a published edition at states II and XIII.

State Changes and Additions:

Matrices:
The progression of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.

Plate 1: overall linear composition; printed in black.
Plate 2: fill in lakes, and later, larger cloud form; usually printed in blue, sometimes in red, pink, and gray.
Plate 3: fill in mountains and smaller cloud form; printed in blue and/or red.

Print State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in black, over plate 2 printed in blue, over plate 3 printed in red.
Changes from state XI, by burnishing: fill in mountains selectively removed.
Changes from state XI, in aquatint: fill in lakes darkened.

Background:

This state of the composition, made from three plates, was originally intended as a benefit for the Chalcographie of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Bourgeois was later made aware that the Chalcographie has a limit of two plates for its prints. Under the circumstances, state XII was published independent of the Chalcographie, and state XIII was published as the Chalcographie benefit print.

Other Remarks:

According to Bourgeois's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, this composition depicts mountains in Switzerland and likely references the artist's memories of visits there in her youth, especially for skiing.

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

11.2002

This Work in Other Collections:

Musée du Louvre, Paris

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY