Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 2 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature (2000-2001)

Select a search filter from the categories below.

Years		Themes		Techniques		Featured Printers & Publishers
1930s–1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s		Abstraction Animals & Insects Architecture Body Parts Fabric Works Faces & Portraits Figures Motherhood & Family Music Nature Objects Spiders Spirals Words		Aquatint Digital Drypoint Engraving Etching Lithography Photogravure Relief Screenprint Other Techniques		Atelier 17 Carolina Nitsch Editions Dyenamix Harlan & Weaver Lison Editions Louise Bourgeois Osiris Peter Blum Edition Procuniar Workshop SOLO Impression Wingate Studio

Showing 1 of 1

Cat. No. 351/II, variant 1

Themes:: Figures
Techniques:: Drypoint
Description:: Drypoint, with red ink additions
Support:: Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:: plate: 4 3/4 x 5 13/16" (12 x 14.7 cm); sheet: 12 3/8 x 8 3/4" (31.5 x 22.2 cm)
Signature:: "LB" lower right margin, red ink.
Publisher:: unpublished
Printer:: Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:: 3 known variant impressions of state II
Impression:: Not numbered
Edition Information:: Proof before the editioning of state IX on paper and of state X on fabric.
State Changes and Additions:: Changes from state I in drypoint: groundline, female figure's hair, features, and necklace delineated; male figure's features and hair delineated; female figure's right hand delineated, and male figure's left hand further delineated.
Addition in red ink: male figure's hair further delineated, and Adam's apple delineated, both anticpating state V; female figure's hair further delineated, anticipating state III; her shoes further delineated, anticipating state VI; her necklace re-configured, anticipating state V.
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.
MoMA Credit Line:: Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:: 1020.2008