Cat. No. 504, study 1
Untitled (Study for Sainte Sébastienne)
- State/Variant:
- Study
- Date:
- 1990-1993
- Themes
- Animals & Insects, Figures
- Techniques
- Other Techniques
- Support:
- Smooth paper
- Dimensions:
- sheet: 17 x 11" (43.2 x 28 cm)
- Signature:
- Not signed
- Publisher
- unpublished
- Edition:
- 9 known photocopy studies; 1 known metal stamp study
- Impression:
- Not numbered
- Background:
- In 1990, Bourgeois began the first version of "Sainte Sébastienne" with Christian Guérin, of Gravure, New York, as printer. She discontinued work after completing state IX. (For state IX the printer was Harlan & Weaver, New York.) After more than a year, in 1991, she executed state X, which was again printed by Harlan & Weaver. She then discontinued work on the first version without issuing a published edition at that time. In 1992, she resumed the project with Harlan & Weaver as printer, this time enlarging the image to create a second version, which was published that year by Peter Blum Edition, New York.
In 1993, she went back to the first version, creating states XI-XII and publishing state XII in two editions, one in 1993 and the other in 1994. In 1993, state XII was published as "Stamp of Memories I" by Peter Blum Edition. It was hand stamped using a metal stamp depicting an ornate version of the initials "LB" which belonged to the artist's father, Louis Bourgeois. "Stamp of Memories II" was published in 1994, also by Peter Blum Edition. This edition of state XII was hand stamped with the artist's personal metal stamp, depicting a geometric version of the initials "LB." Both metal stamps were the type used for sealing letters with wax.
In the later states of version 1 (states V, X-XII), Bourgeois depicts three eggs within the figure's upswept hair. She referred to these as her three children. The artist used the same symbolism in the engraving "Bosom Lady" of 1948 and in "Dancing Insect" of 1999 (see Related Works in the Catalogue below). Bourgeois had three sons: Michel, Jean-Louis, and Alain. - Curatorial Remarks:
- According to Felix Harlan, of Harlan & Weaver, the artist sometimes used photocopies to aid in the process of developing a composition and/or transferring it onto a copper plate. Photocopies for this composition are designated as Studies in the Evolving Composition Diagram below. In the case of "Sainte Sébastienne," Bourgeois first made a photocopy of a 1987 untitled drawing from the exhibition catalogue, "Louise Bourgeois Drawings," produced by Robert Miller, New York and Daniel Lelong, Paris in 1988. This became the basis for the first version.
She then created several additional photocopy studies from this reproduction, experimenting with scale and alterations to the figure's form. These experiments informed the development of the second version, in which the figure appears headless and at a much larger scale. The artist also used photocopies to develop this imagery for a Gobelins tapestry commissioned by the French government (see Related Works in Other Mediums below). The Brooklyn Museum's collection has two impressions that appear to have been used to develop the tapestry.
The signature seen in this photocopy is on the original drawing. - Former Cat. No.:
- W & S 110.1
- Description:
- Photocopy, with pink watercolor, pink, black, blue, and green ink, and pencil additions
- Inscription:
- "Black + red..." lower right sheet, pencil, artist's hand; "elle a / perdu la / tete / perdu pied" right lower sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
- Artist’s Remarks:
- About the source drawing, 1987: "This is a self-portrait of a person who is very happy and running and then suddenly realizes that she has antagonized certain people. She gets shot at. Then she is transformed from a nice, sweet creature into a mean, feline person." (Quote cited in Bourgeois, Louise and Lawrence Rinder. "Louise Bourgeois Drawings and Observations." Berkeley: University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive University of California, Berkeley; Boston: Bulfinch Press, 1995, p. 147.)
"'Sainte Sébastienne' is a self portrait. It's a state of being under attack, of being anxious and afraid. What does a person do when they are under seige? You better understand why you are being attacked. Is it provoked? Is it revenge? Do you fight back, or do you run for cover and retreat into the protection of your own lair? That is the big question." (Quote cited in Fetz, Wolfgang and Gerald Matt. "Saint Sebastian: A Splendid Readiness for Death." Vienna: Kunsthalle Wien; Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2003/2004, p. 23.) - Bibliography:
- Fetz, Wolfgang and Gerald Matt. "Saint Sebastian: A Splendid Readiness for Death." Vienna: Kunsthalle Wien; Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2003/2004. (Catalogue accompanying the group exhibition "Saint Sebastian: A Splendid Readiness for Death" held at Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, from November 11, 2003 to May 15, 2004.)
- MoMA Credit Line:
- Gift of the artist
- MoMA Accession Number:
- 468.2010
Study
1990-1993
Sainte Sébastienne
1990-1998
Source
1987
Untitled
1987
Untitled
1987
Medium: Ink, watercolor, and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 24 7/8 x 19" (63.2 x 48.3 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1990-1993
Untitled (Study for<i> Sainte Sébastienne</i>)
1990-1993
Study
1996
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1996
Study
1998
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1998
Study
c. 1994
Untitled (Study for<i> Stamp of Memories I</i>)
c. 1994
Version 1 of 2, state I of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state I of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state II of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state III of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state IV of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state IV of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state IV of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state V of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state V of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state V of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VI of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VI of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VI of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VII of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VII of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VII of XII, variant
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state VIII of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state IX of XII
1990
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1990
Version 1 of 2, state X of XII
1991
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1991
Version 1 of 2, state XI of XII, variant
1993
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XI of XII, variant
1993
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XI of XII, variant
1993
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII
1993
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII, variant
1993
<i>Stamp of Memories I</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII, variant
1993
<i>Stamp of Memories I</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII, variant
1994
<i>Stamp of Memories II</i>
1994
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII, variant
1994
<i>Stamp of Memories II</i>
1994
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII
1993
<i>Stamp of Memories I</i>
1993
Version 1 of 2, state XII of XII
1994
<i>Stamp of Memories II</i>
1994
Version 2 of 2, state I of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state II of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state III of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state IV of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state V of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state VI of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state VI of VII, variant
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state VII of VII, variant
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Version 2 of 2, state VII of VII
1992
<i>Sainte Sébastienne</i>
1992
Related Works in the Catalogue
Dancing Insect
State III of III
1999
<i>Dancing Insect</i>
1999
St. Sebastian
Only state, variant
c. 1990
<i>St. Sebastian</i>
c. 1990
Bosom Lady, plate 9 of 9, from the portfolio, Quarantania
State V of V
1948
<i>Bosom Lady</i>, plate 9 of 9, from the portfolio,<i> Quarantania</i>
1948
Untitled
Only state, variant
2007
Untitled
2007
Related Works in Other Mediums
St. Sébastienne
1947
St. Sébastienne
1947
Medium: Watercolor and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 11 x 7 1/4" (27.9 x 18.4 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Ste. Sébastienne
1992
Ste. Sébastienne
1992
Medium: Ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 17 5/8 x 12" (44.8 x 30.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Ste. Sébastienne
1992
Ste. Sébastienne
1992
Medium: Watercolor and charcoal on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 17 3/4 x 12" (45.1 x 30.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Blackmail
1987
Blackmail
1987
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 8 1/2 x 5 3/8" (21.6 x 13.7 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Ste. Sébastienne
1994
Ste. Sébastienne
1994
Medium: Ink, gouache, and charcoal on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 18 x 18" (45.7 x 45.7 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Sainte Sébastienne
1999
Sainte Sébastienne
1999
Medium: Ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 1/8 x 11 7/8" (23.2 x 30.2 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
St. Sébastienne
2002
St. Sébastienne
2002
Medium: Fabric and stainless steel
Dimensions: overall: 17 x 12 x 12" (43.2 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
1996
Untitled
1996
Medium: Mixed media on fabric handkerchief
Dimensions: sheet: 16 1/2 x 16" (41.9 x 40.6 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Sainte Sébastienne
1997
Sainte Sébastienne
1997
Medium: Gobelins tapestry
Dimensions: 133 x 96 1/2" (337.8 x 245.1 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Untitled
1996
Untitled
1996
Medium: Ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 11 3/4 x 7 3/4" (29.8 x 19.7 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY