Provenance

The Linda Givon Collection.

Notes

The present lot is part of Louise Bourgeois's Autobiographical Series, which draws on her early sketches. This series primarily reflects on her life in New York during the 1940s, beginning with the first print, Scissors. The present lot is based on two works created in 1986 – one in oil on tracing paper and another in oil and watercolor on paper – both symbolising childbirth, a recurring theme in Bourgeois's art. She inscribed on the source drawing: "Ma mère et moi – Jean only blames only someone who loves me unconditionaly (sic) anyone else would kick. The unconditionality of my mother's is essential to me. The literal repulses me." Bourgeois further remarks: “This should be titled, The Umbilical Cord, the cord that ties the little one to the big one. As you see, it is a weapon”. ¹

^1. Louise Bourgeois The Complete Prints and Books (no date) Untitled, plate 1 of 14, from the portfolio, Autobiographical Series, online, https://www.moma.org/s/lb/collection_lb/objbytag/objbytag_tag-vo61315_sov.html, accessed 24 September 2024.

Louise Bourgeois, born in Paris in 1911, was a pioneering French-American artist known for her powerful explorations of identity, memory, and the subconscious. She studied mathematics at the Sorbonne before shifting her focus to art, attending several art schools in Paris, including the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and under notable artists like Ferdinand Léger and André Lhote. Bourgeois moved to New York City in 1938, where she continued her studies at the Art Students League. Her work, spanning over seven decades, delves into early childhood trauma and female sexuality, often using motifs like body parts, houses, and spiders. Bourgeois’ art blends personal symbolism with psychological exploration, employing diverse media and materials.

Throughout her career, Bourgeois received numerous accolades, including a major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1982 and her representation of the USA at the 45^th Venice Biennale in 1993. In 2000, she created the inaugural special commission for the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. Bourgeois’ work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Guggenheim, amongst others.

Literature

Roger Malbert and Juliet Mitchell (2016) Louise Bourgeois: Autobiographical Prints, London: Hayward, cat. no. 430/III.