LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Themes:

Animals & Insects, Motherhood & Family

Techniques:

Drypoint

Description:

Drypoint, with red ink, pencil, and white correction fluid additions

Support:

Smooth, wove paper

Dimensions:

plate: 11 7/8 x 9 13/16" (30.2 x 25 cm); sheet: 15 5/16 x 11 1/8" (38.9 x 28.3 cm)

Signature:

"LB" lower right margin, red ink.

Inscription:

Verso: [drawing of head with 8 eyes in 2 rows and mouth] upper center sheet, red ink, artist's hand; "make a spider doll." center sheet, red ink, artist's hand; "mountain lakes 18 by 24." lower right sheet, red ink, artist's hand; [drawing of multiple undulating lines] lower left to lower right sheet, red ink, artist's hand; "The kiss of the spider woman / a book and a movie. / La vie des insects par Fabre (Jean Henri) / entomologist" lower center to lower right sheet, red ink, artist's hand; "Je suis arriveé á etre paisible je suis arriveé á etre paisible je suis arriveé á etre paisible / Je suis arriveé á etre paisible je suis arriveé" lower left to lower right sheet, red ink; artist's hand. "HAIRY LEGS / She has 8 eyes in 2 rows / one mouth" lower middle sheet, red ink, artist's hand; [drawing of head with 8 eyes in 2 rows] lower middle sheet, red ink, artist's hand.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

3 known impressions of state III

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

Not issued as a published edition at any state.

The third known impression of this state is not in MoMA's Collection. It is not illustrated, due to its similarity to the other impression of state III in the Evolving Composition Diagram below.

State Changes and Additions:

Changes from state II, in drypoint: hairs added to topmost leg on right side of body; eyebrows added; lines extended across abdomen; legs reinforced.

Background:

According to the artist's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, Bourgeois began this composition by tracing an illustration from a book in her collection. The book had once been part of the inventory of Erasmus Books and Prints, the shop she opened for a brief period in the late 1950s.

Curatorial Remarks:

Without being able to examine it in person, it appears that the study is a color photocopy of state III of III, variant. Bourgeois made the photocopy in 2003, several years after she discontinued work on the "Dancing Insect" prints.

Other Remarks:

According to Bourgeois's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, the three eggs in the lower left composition refer to Louise's three children and the insect is a self portrait of the artist.

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

1405.2008

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY