LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Themes:

Music, Spiders

Techniques:

Drypoint

Description:

Drypoint, with pink chine collé, and red and black ink, and pencil additions

Support:

Smooth, wove paper

Dimensions:

plate: 11 7/8 x 9 15/16" (30.2 x 25.2 cm); sheet: 21 x 18" (53.3 x 45.7 cm)

Signature:

"LB" right lower margin, red ink.

Inscription:

Verso: "Do I have to dance upside down naked to get one of these? / Pouran / Oct 28, 2001" lower left to center sheet, red ink over pencil, Pouran Esrafily's hand.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

2 known variant impressions of state II, outside the editions on paper and fabric

Impression:

Not numbered

State Changes and Additions:

Changes from state I in drypoint: hair added.

Background:

Bourgeois made drawings on music paper as early as the 1940s. According to her assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, she began to use it again at the time of her "Insomnia Drawings" series in 1994-1995. Listening to music at night led her back to music paper.

Gorovoy also pointed out that the "Pouran" in the inscription on the verso refers to Pouran Esrafily who made films on Bourgeois's life and work, and also presided for many years over the Sunday Salons held by the artist at her home.

Artist’s Remarks:

Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: "Spider doll in blue / hairy legs Spider / The obese Spider from Haiti"

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

1477.2008

This Work in Other Collections:

Brooklyn Museum, New York
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY