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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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Cat. No. 553/XIII

Lacs de Montagne

State/Variant:
State XIII of XIII
Date:
1997
Alternate Title:
Mountain Ponds 1993; Convulsions; Lacs de Montagne (blue 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 3/4 x 29" (60.3 x 73.7 cm)
Signature:
"Louise Bourgeois 1997" lower right margin, pencil.
Inscription:
"Mountain Lakes" lower middle margin, pencil, artist's hand.
Publisher:
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Printer:
Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:
9 numbered, and an unlimited edition of unsigned, unnumbered prints; plus 10 A.P., 1 B.A.T., 1 T.P.
Impression:
"a.p. 2/10" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.
Edition Information:
There is 1 known variant impression, outside the edition, in MoMA's Collection (Accession Number: 699.2008). It is not illustrated, due to its similarity to the impression seen here. The impression was rejected by the printer because it is very slightly out of register.

This composition was also issued as a published edition at states II and XII.
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 3 printed in red and blue.
Changes from state XII, in etching: contours of lakes delineated.
Benefit Work:
For Musée du Louvre, Paris
Background:
State XIII was published as a benefit for Chalcographie of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Following the printing of the numbered edition at Harlan & Weaver, the matrices for this composition were released to the Cabinet des estampes of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. With the artist's permission, they are being published in an unsigned, unlimited edition by the Chalcographie du Louvre.

State XII, 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 this state was published as the Chalcographie benefit print.

"The Chalcographie was established in the 18th century to collect matrices by artists, but it also publishes prints, including commissioning new editions from contemporary artists and reprinting from their collection of historic plates. The Chalcographie has an extensive sales program with a shop in the museum dedicated to selling these modestly priced restrikes." (Reference: Deborah Wye and Wendy Weitman, "Eye on Europe: Prints, Books & Multiples: 1960 to Now" (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2006), p. 25.)
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:
12.2002
This Work in Other Collections:
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Mountain Ponds 1993; Lacs de Montagne
1993-1997

Studies

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled (Study for Mountain Ponds, 1993). 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Study
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled (Study for Mountain Ponds 1993). 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Study
1993

States

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State I of XIII, variant
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State I of XIII, variant
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State II of XIII, variant
1993
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State II of XIII
1993
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State II of XIII
1993
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State II of XIII
1993
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State II of XIII
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993 (When in Doubt Suspend Judgement). 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State III of XIII
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State IV of XIII
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State IV of XIII
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Mountain Ponds 1993. 1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State V of XIII, variant
1993
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Rain on the Mountain Lakes. 1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State V of XIII, variant
1996
Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
State V of XIII, variant
1996
Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
State V of XIII, variant
1996
Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
State V of XIII, variant
1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State V of XIII, variant
1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State VI of XIII
1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State VII of XIII
1996
Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
State VIII of XIII
1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State IX of XIII
1996
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1997
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State X of XIII
1997
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1997
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State XI of XIII, variant
1997
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1997
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION State XI of XIII, variant
1997
Published Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1997
State XII of XIII
1997
Published Louise Bourgeois. Lacs de Montagne. 1997
State XIII of XIII
1997