Cat. No. 353c/IV, variant 2
Untitled, plate 4 of 5, from the series, The Laws of Nature
- State/Variant:
- State IV of VII, variant
- Date:
- c. 2003
- Series:
- The Laws of Nature
- Themes
- Fabric Works, Figures
- Techniques
- Drypoint
- Support:
- Fabric
- Dimensions:
- plate: 4 3/4 x 5 3/4" (12 x 14.6 cm); sheet: 7 3/4 x 8 1/2" (19.7 x 21.6 cm)
- Signature:
- "LB" right lower margin, stitched in red thread.
- Publisher
- unpublished
- Printer
- Harlan & Weaver
- Edition:
- 3 known variant impressions of state IV
- Edition Information:
- Proof before the illustrated book edition of state VI on paper, and the illustrated book edition of state VII on fabric.
This impression is part of an initialed, but unpublished series.
There are several unpublished but signed formats of “The Laws of Nature:” a series on fabric, printed in black, in 2 known examples; a series on fabric, printed in red, in 1 known example; and a series on a scarf, printed in black, with the plates in a different order. (See the Evolving Composition Diagram.) The states of the plates within the various series sometimes differ from the states of the plates within the published editions.
There are also two sets of plates, printed in red, with no signatures. One set, from c. 2003, is on silk; the other, from c. 2006, is on paper. Since the prints in these sets have no signatures, the sets are not considered to be completed series. - Impression:
- Not numbered
- Background:
- The artist told printer Felix Harlan that the figures in this series are playing an adult version of a French children's game, known as "faire des galipettes," meaning to do somersaults. In fact, the expression "faire des galipettes" is also slang for having sex, a punning reference that Bourgeois must have enjoyed.
- Curatorial Remarks:
- The dimensions of this impression could not be documented beacuse this work is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from the published impression on paper in MoMA's Collection. Plate dimensions of fabric works often vary slightly due to stretching. Sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.
In contrast to the designation "illustrated book," which contains text, this catalogue designates as a "series" those instances where there is no text accompanying a group of related plates. - Description:
- Drypoint, with black ink additions
- State Changes and Additions:
- Changes from state III in drypoint: female figure's second foot and shoe delineated; her hair further delineated; male figure's penis further delineated; male and female figures' heads and faces burnished away and reconfigured.
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Open to compare works
Select a work in the diagram below
State IV of VII, variant
c. 2003
A
B
Untitled, plate 4 of 5, from the illustrated book, The Laws of Nature
2003-2006
States
Series
2001-2003
Series
c. 2003
Related Works in the Catalogue
Related Works in Other Mediums
Not in MoMA's Collection
Couple
2001
Not in MoMA's Collection
Couple
2001
Medium: Fabric
Dimensions: overall: 19 x 6 x 6 1/2" (48.3 x 15.2 x 16.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Not in MoMA's Collection
Couple
2001
Not in MoMA's Collection
Couple
2001
Medium: Fabric
Dimensions: overall: 20 x 7 x 6" (50.8 x 17.8 x 15.2 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Not in MoMA's Collection
The Couple
2007
Not in MoMA's Collection
The Couple
2007
Medium: Gouache and pencil on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 23 1/2 x 18" (59.7 x 45.7 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Not in MoMA's Collection
Le Bateau Adulte Enfant(The Laws of Nature)
1997
Not in MoMA's Collection
Le Bateau Adulte Enfant(The Laws of Nature)
1997
Medium: Ink, pencil, and correction fluid on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 x 22 5/8" (22.9 x 57.5 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY