Louise Bourgeois

American, born France, 1911 - 2010

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See all 29 works of art
The sculpture has thin, elongated legs sprawled out in various directions. At the center of all the legs is a cylindrical shape elevated off the ground which appears to be a body. There are grooves and indentations along the legs and body. It has a dark, metallic appearance that contrasts with its surroundings. The setting is outdoors, in a garden or park area, with grass and hedges surrounding the sculpture. In the background, there are trees with foliage in shades of orange and yellow. There are also several outdoor chairs visible under the trees.
Louise Bourgeois, Spider, 1996, cast 1997, bronze with silver nitrate patina, Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, 1997.136.1

Spider

Louise Bourgeois · 1996, cast 1997 · bronze with silver nitrate patina ·  Accession ID  1997.136.1
The sculpture features two elongated, vertical formations resembling totem poles. It consists of stacked, geometrically shaped components including discs, cones, and spheres. The color of the sculpture is predominantly a muted off-white with occasional hints of pale greenish-gray tones. The formations rise vertically from thin metal rods anchored to a square metal base.
Louise Bourgeois, Untitled, 1952, painted wood and plaster, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 1992.102.1

Untitled

Louise Bourgeois · 1952 · painted wood and plaster ·  Accession ID  1992.102.1
The sculpture titled "Mortise" features a vertical stack of red and dark-colored blocks. The blocks are arranged in a way that creates a slightly irregular column. The red blocks are positioned on the outer sides, while the darker blocks are interspersed more centrally. The structure is tall and slender with a textured surface. The sculpture sits on a flat base against a neutral background.
Louise Bourgeois, Mortise, 1950, painted wood, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 1992.102.2

Mortise

Louise Bourgeois · 1950 · painted wood ·  Accession ID  1992.102.2
The sculpture shows a tall, elongated figure made of stacked, rounded shapes tapering into a slender base. The rounded shapes look almost like lungs, and the shape at the top appears to have curving lines carved into it. The sculpture is created from a white material and stands upright on a metal square base.
Louise Bourgeois, Spring, 1949, painted wood, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 1992.102.3

Spring

Louise Bourgeois · 1949 · painted wood ·  Accession ID  1992.102.3
This tall, abstract, bronze, free-standing sculpture is made up of five thin, elongated geometric shapes stacked vertically. The surface of the bronze is dark, pewter gray, and it is photographed against a lighter gray background. The sculpture stands on a square, plate-like, silver-colored base. Starting at the bottom, the first section is a tall, narrow, rectangular column with a pitted surface and irregular edges, as if the corners had been hammered. The next vertical section is a slender, smooth, leaf-shaped object that swells at the top and tapers to a point where it meets the column below. A wide, narrow sliver balances horizontally across the leaf-like object, and it tapers to points to our left and right. Above, a vertical capsule-shaped form is painted with two small, vertical, wavy lines in white. Finally, another horizontal form with a hammered surface tops the structure. It is pinched at the center and swells slightly to either side before tapering to points. The leaf form and capsule shapes are about the same height. The topmost horizontal piece is slightly wider than the lower one.
Louise Bourgeois, The Winged Figure, 1948, cast 1991, bronze, Gift of Louise Bourgeois, 1992.101.1

The Winged Figure

Louise Bourgeois · 1948, cast 1991 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1992.101.1
This image depicts flowing and swirling lines in predominantly red ink. An abstract form resembling a large, fluid wave or cascading curtain sweeps across the paper, reaching upward and curling delicately at the ends. A circular spiral shape is situated to the right of this form, along with a smaller spiral positioned slightly below it. Together, these elements create an abstract composition resembling stylized natural forms such as ocean waves or coiled tendrils.
Louise Bourgeois, M is for Mother, 1998, pen and red ink with red colored pencil and graphite on wove paper, Gift of Dian Woodner, 2008.72.1

M is for Mother

Louise Bourgeois · 1998 · pen and red ink with red colored pencil and graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2008.72.1
The image displays elongated teardrop-like shapes and swirling curved lines interlacing across the canvas in a dynamic composition. The abstract forms resemble droplets or markings on a large seashell, evoking fur, branches, or ripples. The design is akin to growth rings of a tree or water swirling around a drain.
Louise Bourgeois, Paris Review, 1994, liftground aquatint and drypoint with white gouache additions on wove Somerset Satin paper, Gift of Carolyn Kaplan, 2007.41.1

Paris Review

Louise Bourgeois · 1994 · liftground aquatint and drypoint with white gouache additions on wove Somerset Satin paper ·  Accession ID  2007.41.1
The image shows stacked, parallelogram-shaped forms that alternate in color between red and outlined shapes without fill, aligned vertically along a thin central line. The arrangement of shapes creates balance and rhythm, resembling a stylized spine or ladder. The red and outlined forms contribute to the abstract nature of the composition.
Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions, the puritan (4), 1990, engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé, Gift of the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection, 2009.131.1.4

the puritan (4)

Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions · 1990 · engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé ·  Accession ID  2009.131.1.4
The image shows a series of parallel, red trapezoidal shapes arranged vertically and slightly offset. The abstract composition resembles a ladder or stack of open books, with each page slightly turned. The shapes create a central column against a neutral background.
Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions, the puritan (3), 1990, engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé, Gift of the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection, 2009.131.1.3

the puritan (3)

Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions · 1990 · engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé ·  Accession ID  2009.131.1.3
The image includes a circular shape bordered in black, with horizontal, light beige panels evenly spaced inside.
Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions, the puritan (6), 1990, engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé, Gift of the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection, 2009.131.1.6

the puritan (6)

Louise Bourgeois, Louise Bourgeois, Osiris Editions · 1990 · engraving in black with additions in gouache on Twinrocker handmade paper with Japan gampi chine collé ·  Accession ID  2009.131.1.6

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Shown from the shins up, two elegantly dressed women and two young boys, all with light skin, sit together on a bench in front of a stone balustrade with a forest landscape beyond in this horizontal portrait painting. The people are brightly lit from our left but the darkened sky suggests dusk. The boys lean onto the woman at the center of the composition, and the second woman sits to her right, our left. All of the people have pale skin, rosy cheeks, delicate noses, and their pink lips all turn up in slight smiles. The woman on our left sits with her body angled toward her friend but she turns her face to look at us with brown eyes under curving brows. Her wavy, flint-gray hair is loosely bound up so it frames the sides of her face and curls over her shoulders. Her swirling, white head covering is edged in gold and tied in a bow over her left ear, on our right. Her long-sleeved dress has a tight-fitting bodice and a low, scooped neckline lined with pleated white fabric. Her dress shimmers from sapphire blue to dusky pink, suggesting it is iridescent taffeta. Large pearls hang off the end of round, gold, hoop earrings, and a glimmering gold sash is tied around her waist. She sits with her left hand resting on her friend’s right shoulder, closer to her, and she gestures toward one of the young boys leaning on the friend’s lap with her other hand. The second woman sits with her body facing us, and she looks off to our left with gray-blue eyes. Her silvery gray, upswept hair is covered with a long piece of white fabric with pink stripes, twisted loosely into a turban-like head covering. She wears dangling gold earrings, and her dress is striped with parchment white and rust red. Her right hand, on our left, rests on her friend’s knee, and her other arm is wrapped around the older boy. He kneels on the bench and leans forward, wrapping the arm we can see around her torso. His face near hers, he looks up at her from under his lashes. A dimple marks the flushed cheek we can see. His chestnut-brown hair falls around his shoulders, and he wears a gingerbread-brown suit. The smaller and younger of the two boys rests his head on his crossed hands on her thigh, and looks out at us. He wears a white garment with a lilac-purple sash tied in a bow around his waist. There is a pale pink rosebush in the lower right corner of the painting, near the kneeling boy’s foot. The landscape beyond the balustrade is filled with dark green trees against a slate-blue sky. The painting is created with blended brushstrokes, giving it a soft look.

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