LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Themes:

Abstraction, Nature

Techniques:

Aquatint

Description:

Aquatint, with gouache and ink on paper

Support:

Paper

Dimensions:

plate: 6 15/16 × 5" (17.6 × 12.7 cm); sheet: 14 3/4 × 11" (37.5 × 27.9 cm)

Signature:

"Louise Bourgeois" lower right margin, pencil.

Publisher:

Osiris, New York

Printer:

Wingate Studio, Hinsdale, NH

Edition:

3

Impression:

Verso: "painted study 1/3"

Edition Information:

The hand additions on this composition vary across the edition. For comparison, see other impressions in the Evolving Composition Diagram below.

In this edition, Bourgeois and the publisher designated each impression as a "painted study." However, throughout the catalogue, the term "study" describes photocopies and tracings that were used in the process of developing a composition.

There are 3 known impressions of the only state, outside the edition.

Background:

In 1989, to help Bourgeois prepare for what would be a major project together, "the puritan," Ben Shiff of Osiris, New York, provided her with test plates on which she made various technical experiments. The editioned composition "Branches" developed from one of these experiments.

Curatorial Remarks:

The color of the hand additions and paper type could not be documented because this work is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from the impressions before the edition in MoMA's Collection. The sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY