Dagger Child

Cat. No. 407/II, variant 1

Dagger Child

State/Variant:
State II of IV, variant
Date:
2001
Alternate Title:
The Dagger Child et Sa Mère
Themes
Motherhood & Family, Objects
Techniques
Drypoint
Support:
Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:
plate: 11 15/16 x 9 15/16" (30.3 x 25.3 cm); sheet: 16 5/16 x 11 1/2" (41.4 x 29.2 cm)
Signature:
"LB" lower right margin, red ink.
Publisher
unpublished
Printer
Harlan & Weaver
Edition:
2 known variant impressions of state II
Edition Information:
Not issued as a published edition at any state.
Impression:
Not numbered
Background:
The two source drawings for "Dagger Child" are tracings of a knife that Bourgeois had in her home, according to her assistant Jerry Gorovoy. She also used tracings of common household objects in 2006 to develop the print series, “Lullaby.”
Description:
Drypoint, with red ink additions
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from state I, in drypoint: small knife filled in; handle of large knife reinforced.
Additions in red ink: plate mark reinforced, possibly in anticipation of the thin black border added in state III.
Artist’s Remarks:
"The Dagger Child is the child who is in the position to hurt you. He has the power to hurt the mother. The knife is like a little toy." (Quote cited in Meyer-Thoss, Christiane. "Louise Bourgeois: Designing for Free Fall." Zurich: Ammann Verlag, 1992, p. 180)

Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: "The dagger child et sa mere."
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
1055.2008
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Dagger Child

2001

Source

2001

Untitled

Source

2001

The Dagger Child et Sa Mère
States
Dagger Child
Dagger Child
Dagger Child
Dagger Child
Dagger Child

Related Works in the Catalogue

Untitled, no. 8 of 24, from the series, Lullaby
Untitled, plate 1 of 14, from the portfolio, Autobiographical Series

Related Works in Other Mediums

Le Suicide Threat
The Punishment of the Dagger Child
The Dagger Child Hurt the Parent
Dagger Child