Cat. No. 702/I
Père, Gardez Vous...
- State/Variant:
- State I of II
- Date:
- c. 1974
- Themes
- Motherhood & Family, Words
- Techniques
- Drypoint
- Support:
- Smooth, wove paper
- Dimensions:
- plate: 8 1/8 × 11 15/16" (20.6 × 30.3 cm); sheet: 17 11/16 × 17 13/16" (45 × 45.2 cm)
- Signature:
- Not signed
- Publisher
- unpublished
- Printer
- Louise Bourgeois
- Edition:
- 2 known impressions of state I
- Edition Information:
- Not issued as a published edition at any state.
- Impression:
- Not numbered
- Former Cat. No.:
- W & S 69 (state I only)
- Descriptive Title:
- English translation: "Father, protect yourself..."
- Description:
- Drypoint
- Inscription:
- "966 / 8830" right lower margin, pencil, artist's hand. Verso: "Soltools / 925.0923 / 164 Laf / Rita Gallery / 925.0113 / Conte / Braathen & / Freidus Gal / 158 Laf at Grand / 5th floor" center sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
- Artist’s Remarks:
- The phrase scratched on this print alludes to a story about a medieval king of France. According to Bourgeois, "This is a famous quote... every French schoolchild knows it... it refers to Hugues [Hugh] Capet. In the tenth century, at the Battle of Poitiers, Capet fought against the Moors who threatened to invade France as they had invaded Spain. Hugues Capet was defended by his son. His son would say, 'Father, watch out on the right—on the left—' Such devotion is very rare.
"I have converted this to 'Child, protect yourself: beware of the triangle.' The father is at the top of the triangle, playing one against the other... it is a power play... everyone in the triangle practices ferocity.
"I have an obsession with the triangle... it is an emotional problem. Everyone wants exclusive love and devotion... but that does not exist. As bad as the balance of the triangle is, and as bad as the power game is, it is better than the ultimatum which says: 'If you don't love me exclusively, I will commit suicide.' " (Quotes cited in Wye, Deborah and Carol Smith. “The Prints of Louise Bourgeois.” New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1994, p. 142.) - MoMA Credit Line:
- Gift of the artist
- MoMA Accession Number:
- 254.1992
c. 1974
Père, Gardez Vous...
1974-1994
c. 1974
<i>Père, Gardez Vous...</i>
c. 1974
1994
<i>Père, Gardez Vous...</i>
1994
Related Works in the Catalogue
Ferocity
c. 1974
<i>Ferocity</i>
c. 1974
The Guilty Girl Is Fragile
2000
<i>The Guilty Girl Is Fragile</i>
2000
Untitled
1999
Untitled
1999
Untitled
c. 2005
Untitled
c. 2005
Related Works in Other Mediums
Untitled
1971
Untitled
1971
Medium: Ink and charcoal on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 8 11/16 × 11 13/16" (22 × 30 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
1968
Untitled
1968
Medium: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 3/4 × 11 5/8" (24.8 × 29.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Triangles
1978
Triangles
1978
Medium: Watercolor, crayon, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 29 3/4 × 41 1/2" (75.6 × 105.4 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
2001
Untitled
2001
Medium: Ink on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 11 × 16 1/2" (27.9 × 41.9 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
2004
Untitled
2004
Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 1/2 × 8" (24.1 × 20.3 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Incised in plate (printed in reverse):
"PÉRE / GARDEZ / VOUS / À DROITE / GARDEZ / VOUS À / GAUCHE / MÉFIE TOI DU TRIANGLE / ENFANT / GARDE TOI À DROITE / GARDE TOI À GAUCHE"
Translation: Father / protect / yourself / on the right / protect / yourself on / the left / beware of the triangle / child / protect yourself on the right / protect yourself on the left