Bed

Cat. No. 480.2/I, variant 1

Bed

State/Variant:
Version 2 of 3, state I of IV, variant
Date:
1997
Alternate Title:
Bed #1; Bed I
Themes
Architecture, Figures, Objects
Techniques
Drypoint, Engraving, Etching
Support:
Smooth, wove Somerset paper
Dimensions:
plate: 16 3/8 x 19 3/4" (41.6 x 50.2 cm); sheet: 20 1/16 x 22 13/16" (51 x 58 cm)
Signature:
Not signed
Publisher
unpublished
Printer
Harlan & Weaver
Edition:
2 known variant impressions of version 2, state I
Edition Information:
Proof before the editioning of version 2, state IV. This composition was also issued as published editions at version 3, state X and version 3, state XI.
Impression:
Not numbered
Background:
The inscription on the verso refers to Rosamond Bernier (1916-2016), an American lecturer, author, and editor who founded the French art magazine "L'Oeil." Bernier and her husband, art critic John Russell (1919-2008), were close friends of Bourgeois.

Version 2, state IV of this composition was published as a benefit for the Rivington House branch of Village Care of New York (previously Village Center for Care). Version 3, state XI of this composition was published as a benefit for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
Description:
Soft ground etching, drypoint, and engraving, with pink and blue watercolor, black ink, and pencil additions
Inscription:
"The serene stage (Rosamonde Bernier)" lower left margin, pencil, artist's hand. Verso: "Nicole. if it hidden, it is not good/ Bob Happy moments color is important. / La couleur ne le rendpas plus joyeux / le lit familial avec le gros edredon / c'est un rideau devant / Rosamond.- this variation is serieux. / Rosa mundi of Whitney museum Topiary / Strire [illeg.] + deep pink / le Couturier est ce quei j'aime" center sheet, pencil, artist's hand; "wishful thinking metaphor of the mother and son: (Olivier)" lower center sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
State Changes and Additions:
Changes from version 1, in soft ground etching: composition transferred to new plate by tracing photocopy of first source drawing onto copper plate.
Changes from version 1, in engraving: floorboards added and lines in bedspread refined.
Changes from version 1, in drypoint: bed frame shaded and composition reinforced overall.
Artist’s Remarks:
Inscribed on the verso of the source drawing: "Aug 20th Wardrobe Series / Les dessin de lit ne sont pas mal, mais des sacs de matelas seraient mieux, dessins de lit, the more, the better. Ce dessin n'est pas assez exact."

"Two things you count in one's erotic life: dinner table and bed. The table where your parents made you suffer. And the bed where you lie with your husband, where your children were born and you will die. Essentially, since they are about the same size, they are the same object." (Quote cited in Munro, Eleanor. "Originals: American Women Artists." New York: Simon and Schuster,1979, pp. 154-9.)
Other Remarks:
According to the artist's assistant, Jerry Gorovoy, the subject of beds stems not only from their symbolic resonance for Bourgeois but also from her interest in their geometric and architectural forms. The bed motif is found in Bourgeois's drawings, sculptures, and installations, as well as in her prints (see Related Works in Other Mediums).

According to Wendy Williams of the Louise Bourgeois Studio, this composition was the source for the plaster and steel sculpture, "Arched Couple," 1999, seen below in Related Works in Other Mediums.
MoMA Credit Line:
Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:
689.2008
This Work in Other Collections:
Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Bed and Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu

1997-1998

Source

1995

Untitled (Bed)

Source

1997

Uncontrollable Torrent

Source

1997

Untitled
First Version
Bed
Second Version
Bed
Bed
Bed
Bed
Bed
Bed
Bed
Third Version
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit, Gros Édredon, Bleu
Le Lit Gros Édredon (with lips)

Related Works in the Catalogue

Untitled, plate 2 of 5, from the illustrated book, Metamorfosis
Lips
Birth, plate 9 of 24, from the series, Self Portrait
Untitled, plate 7 of 7, from the portfolio, Metamorfosis
Untitled, plate 5 of 5, from the illustrated book, Metamorfosis

Related Works in Other Mediums

Untitled
Red Night
Cell I
Red Room (Parents)
In and Out
Arched Couple