Lacs de Montagne

Cat. No. 553/XII

Lacs de Montagne

State/Variant:
State XII of XIII
Date:
1997
Alternate Title:
Mountain Ponds 1993; Convulsions; Lacs de Montagne (red version)
Themes
Architecture, Nature
Techniques
Aquatint, Drypoint, Engraving, Etching
Support:
Smooth, wove Somerset paper
Dimensions:
plate: 18 1/16 x 23 7/8" (45.9 x 60.6 cm); sheet: 23 13/16 x 29" (60.5 x 73.7 cm)
Signature:
"Louise Bourgeois. 97" lower right margin, pencil.
Publisher
Louise Bourgeois
Printer
Harlan & Weaver
Edition:
16
Edition Information:
This composition was also issued as a published edition at states II and XIII.
Impression:
"2/16" lower left margin, pencil, unknown hand.
Background:
This state of the composition, 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 state XIII was published as the Chalcographie benefit print.
Descriptive Title:
English Translation: "Mountain Lakes"
Description:
Engraving, etching, aquatint, and drypoint
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 2 printed in blue, over plate 3 printed in red.
Changes from state XI, by burnishing: fill in mountains selectively removed.
Changes from state XI, in aquatint: fill in lakes darkened.
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:
11.2002
This Work in Other Collections:
Musée du Louvre, Paris
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Mountain Ponds 1993 ; Lacs de Montagne

1993-1997

Studies
Untitled (Study for Mountain Ponds, 1993)
Untitled (Study for Mountain Ponds 1993)
States
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993
Mountain Ponds 1993 (When in Doubt Suspend Judgement)
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Mountain Ponds 1993
Rain on the Mountain Lakes
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne
Lacs de Montagne

Related Works in the Catalogue

Untitled
Night and Day
Horizontal Mountain Landscape
Blue Is the Color of Your Eyes
M Is for Mother, plate 4 of 7, from the portfolio, La Réparation

Related Works in Other Mediums

Untitled
Soft Landscape II
The Sweet Smell of Indigo
Untitled
Untitled, no. 57 of 220, from the series, The Insomnia Drawings
Untitled, no. 188 of 200, from the series, Insomnia Drawings
Les 2 Lacs
Untitled