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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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Cat. No. 542.2/VII, variant 1

Who, Where, When, Why, What

State/Variant:
Version 2 of 2, state VII of VIII, variant
Date:
2008
Themes:
Architecture, Words
Techniques:
Aquatint, Drypoint, Etching
Description:
Drypoint, aquatint, and soft ground etching, with black ink additions
Support:
Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:
plate: 11 7/8 x 9 13/16" (30.1 x 25 cm); sheet: 18 1/8 x 12 7/8" (46 x 32.7 cm)
Signature:
Not signed
Publisher:
unpublished
Printer:
Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:
2 known variant impressions of version 2, state VII
Impression:
Not numbered
Edition Information:
Not issued as a published edition at any state.
State Changes and Additions:
Matrices:
The progression of version 2, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: contours of composition and shading of capital W’s, in drypoint; printed in red or black.
Plate 2: shading of house borders and segments of smoke, in aquatint; printed in red or black.
Plate 3: smoke spiral, reconfigured text, and contours of capital W’s in soft ground etching; printed in red or black.

State Changes:
Plate 3 printed in black, over plates 1 and 2 printed in red.
Changes from version 1: composition reconfigured with text in boxes within a house shape, in drypoint.
Changes from version 2, state VI, by burnishing: all remaining text removed.
Changes from version 2, state VI, in soft-ground etching: smoke further delineated; outline of capital W’s reinforced and text reconfigured.
Changes from version 2, state VI, in drypoint: left and lower contour of house reconfigured.
Background:
In August of 1999, the Dalai Lama spoke at several well-attended events in New York City. Bourgeois's son, Jean-Louis, requested that his mother execute a benefit print to raise money for the Dalai Lama’s cause about a month prior to the speaking engagements. Although Bourgeois created this composition, the benefit project did not come to fruition and this print was never published.
Curatorial Remarks:
A variant impression of version 2, state IV was sold at Phillips, New York, “Editions” auction on November 23, 2008, as lot 90. The description lists a "numbered edition of 25 and 7 artist's proofs, published by Harlan & Weaver, New York." According to Felix Harlan of Harlan & Weaver, this composition was never published.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
1571.2012

Who, Where, When, Why, What
1999-2008

Source
1999

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Who Where When Why What. 1999
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Who Where When Why What
Ink, pencil, and gouache on music paper
1999

First Version

Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 1, only state
1999

Second Version

Louise Bourgeois. Who Where When Why What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state I of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state I of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state I of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state II of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state II of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state II of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state II of VIII, variant
1999
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 2 of 2, state III of VIII
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state IV of VIII
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
Version 2 of 2, state V of VIII
1999
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 2 of 2, state V of VIII, variant
1999
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 2008
Version 2 of 2, state VI of VIII
2008
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 2008
Version 2 of 2, state VII of VIII, variant
2008
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 2008
Version 2 of 2, state VII of VIII, variant
2008
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 2008
Version 2 of 2, state VIII of VIII
2008
Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 2008
Version 2 of 2, state VIII of VIII, variant
2008