LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Alternate Title:

Mountain Ponds 1993; Convulsions; Lacs de Montagne (blue version)

Descriptive Title:

English translation: “Mountain Lakes”

Themes:

Architecture, Nature

Techniques:

Aquatint, Drypoint, Engraving, Etching

Description:

Engraving, etching, aquatint, and drypoint

Support:

Smooth, wove Somerset paper

Dimensions:

plate: 18 1/16 x 23 7/8" (45.9 x 60.6 cm); sheet: 23 3/4 x 29" (60.3 x 73.7 cm)

Signature:

"Louise Bourgeois 1997" lower right margin, pencil.

Inscription:

"Mountain Lakes" lower middle margin, pencil, artist's hand.

Publisher:

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Printer:

Harlan & Weaver, New York

Edition:

9 numbered, and an unlimited edition of unsigned, unnumbered prints; plus 10 A.P., 1 B.A.T., 1 T.P.

Impression:

"a.p. 2/10" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.

Edition Information:

There is 1 known variant impression, outside the edition, in MoMA's Collection (Accession Number: 699.2008). It is not illustrated, due to its similarity to the impression seen here. The impression was rejected by the printer because it is very slightly out of register.

This composition was also issued as a published edition at states II and XII.

State Changes and Additions:

Matrices:
The progression of this composition, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: overall linear composition; printed in black.
Plate 2: fill in lakes, and later, larger cloud form; usually printed in blue, sometimes in red, pink, and gray.
Plate 3: fill in mountains and smaller cloud form; printed in blue and/or red.

Print State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in black, over plate 3 printed in red and blue.
Changes from state XII, in etching: contours of lakes delineated.

Benefit Work:

For Musée du Louvre, Paris

Background:

State XIII was published as a benefit for Chalcographie of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Following the printing of the numbered edition at Harlan & Weaver, the matrices for this composition were released to the Cabinet des estampes of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. With the artist's permission, they are being published in an unsigned, unlimited edition by the Chalcographie du Louvre.

State XII, made from three plates, was originally intended as a benefit for the Chalcographie of the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Bourgeois was later made aware that the Chalcographie has a limit of two plates for its prints. Under the circumstances, state XII was published independent of the Chalcographie, and this state was published as the Chalcographie benefit print.

"The Chalcographie was established in the 18th century to collect matrices by artists, but it also publishes prints, including commissioning new editions from contemporary artists and reprinting from their collection of historic plates. The Chalcographie has an extensive sales program with a shop in the museum dedicated to selling these modestly priced restrikes." (Reference: Deborah Wye and Wendy Weitman, "Eye on Europe: Prints, Books & Multiples: 1960 to Now" (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2006), p. 25.)

Other Remarks:

According to Bourgeois's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, this composition depicts mountains in Switzerland and likely references the artist's memories of visits there in her youth, especially for skiing.

MoMA Credit Line:

Gift of the artist

MoMA Accession Number:

12.2002

This Work in Other Collections:

Musée du Louvre, Paris

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY