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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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Cat. No. 1212.1/II, variant 18

Hold My Bones

State/Variant:
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
Date:
2000
Themes:
Body Parts
Techniques:
Drypoint
Description:
Drypoint, with selective wiping, and white and blue gouache, pink and blue crayon, and red ink additions
Support:
Slightly textured, laid Dieu Donné paper
Dimensions:
plate: 4 15/16 × 8 3/8" (12.5 × 21.3 cm); sheet: 9 x 11 3/4" (22.9 x 29.8 cm)
Signature:
"LB" lower right margin, pencil.
Publisher:
unpublished
Printer:
Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:
35 known impressions of version 1, state II
Impression:
Not numbered
Edition Information:
Not issued as a published edition at any state.

There are 16 additional known impressions of this state in MoMA's Collection. They are not illustrated, due to their similarity to the other impressions seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below. One impression is on white paper (Accession Number: 854.2008) while the remaining 15 impressions are on blue, slightly textured, laid Dieu Donné paper (Accession Numbers: 1425.2008, 1426.2008, 1427.2008, 1429.2008, 1430.2008, 1431.2008, 1432.2008, 1433.2008, 1434.2008, 1435.2008, 1436.2008, 1437.2008, 1438.2008, 1439.2008, 1440.2008).
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from version 1, state I, in drypoint: shading added to left and right ends of shape.
Artist’s Remarks:
Inscribed on the source drawing: "Treaser Trove" (sic) upper right sheet, black ink, artist's hand; "I hold [obscured]" lower right sheet, pencil, artist's hand; "Hold my bones / together" lower right sheet, pencil, artist's hand.

About the source drawing, 1994: "This is my favorite drawing of all. It is a call for help. It means, 'Keep me together, do not abandon me, hold my bones together.' Speaking of the toi and moi! It should be called 'Friendship, The Value of Friendship.' I made this for Nigel Finch, the filmmaker. He just passed away." (Quote cited in Bourgeois, Louise and Lawrence Rinder. "Louise Bourgeois Drawings and Observations." Berkeley: University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive University of California, Berkeley; Boston: Bulfinch Press, 1995, p. 175.)
Curatorial Remarks:
Nigel Finch (1949-1995) was a British filmmaker. In 1994, he directed a documentary about the artist titled "Louise Bourgeois: No Trespassing."
Other Remarks:
Felix Harlan, of Harlan & Weaver, had this paper made to match the color of the artist's favorite blue stationary. Bourgeois wanted to try printing on her actual stationary but it was not suitable for printing.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of The Easton Foundation
MoMA Accession Number:
1423.2012

Hold My Bones
2000-2002

Source
1994

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 1994
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Hold My Bones
Gouache, crayon, and pencil on paper
1994

First Version

Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state I of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2000
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2000
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2002
Version 1 of 2, state II of III, variant
2002
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2002
Version 1 of 2, state III of III
2002

Second Version

Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2001
Version 2 of 2, state I of V
2001
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2001-2002
Version 2 of 2, state II of V
2001-2002
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2001-2002
Version 2 of 2, state III of V
2001-2002
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2001-2002
Version 2 of 2, state IV of V
2001-2002
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2001-2002
Version 2 of 2, state IV of V, variant
2001-2002
Louise Bourgeois. Hold My Bones. 2002
Version 2 of 2, state V of V
2002