Louise Bourgeois:
To Unravel a Torment

May 2018—June 2019
A blurred figure walks in a gray gallery space with a stone floor towards five large painted works on paper.

Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment featured five decades of the trailblazing work of the French-born American artist, whose formal innovation and fearless explorations of her own personal history make her an icon of late-20th-century art. Nearly 30 works by Bourgeois (1911–2010), all from the museum’s collection, were displayed, including The Destruction of the Father, 1974, a recently acquired masterpiece realized at a pivotal moment in her career.

Following its installation at Glenstone, Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment is now on view at the Museum Voorlinden in the Netherlands. This is the museum’s first traveling show.

Exhibition Preview

    • The Curved House
      Louise Bourgeois
      The Curved House, 2010
      Bourgeois 2010
      The Curved House, 2010
      marble
      4 ¾ x 8 ¼ x 2 ¾ inches (12 x 21 x 7 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-15-1066x800.jpg A small cream-colored house, slightly curved, sits in a white spacewith symmetrical indentations for the doorway and four windows.
    • I Give Everything Away
      Louise Bourgeois
      I Give Everything Away, 2010
      Bourgeois 2010
      I Give Everything Away, 2010
      etching and mixed media on paper, six panels
      panel 1: 59 ⅞ x 71 inches (152 x 180 cm)
      panel 2: 60 x 73 inches (152 x 185 cm)
      panel 3: 59 ¾ x 69 ⅝ inches (152 x 177 cm)
      panel 4: 59 ¾ x 70 inches (152 x 178 cm)
      panel 5: 60 x 106 inches (152 x 269 cm)
      panel 6: 59 ¾ x 69 inches (152 x 175 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/give-1-1066x800.jpg
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 2007
      Bourgeois 2007
      Untitled, 2007
      fabric and thread
      13 x 18 ½ x 12 inches (33 x 47 x 30 cm)
      70 x 30 x 24 inches (178 x 76 x 61 cm) with vitrine
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-14-e1531922532673-695x800.jpg (3) light brown, figurative head-shaped soft woven objects lay on a pillow-like pieced together fabric cushion. An aluminum floor-mounted box contains the combination.
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 2005
      Bourgeois 2005
      Untitled, 2005
      fabric
      25 ½ x 33 inches (65 x 84 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-10-1066x800.jpg In a wall-hung natural wood frame sits 5 matted interconnected red segmented panels, (each with 8 triangular sections), made of fabric.
    • Je t’aime
      Louise Bourgeois
      Je t’aime, 2005
      Bourgeois 2005
      Je t’aime, 2005
      charcoal, ink, pencil, sanguine and gouache on paper
      suite of 60 double-sided drawings, each 9 ½ x 8 inches (24 x 20 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/jetaime-web-1067x800.jpg
    • Lady in Waiting
      Louise Bourgeois
      Lady in Waiting, 2003
      Bourgeois 2003
      Lady in Waiting, 2003
      tapestry, thread, stainless steel, steel, wood and glass
      82 x 43 ½ x 58 inches (208 x 110 x 147 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-01_PS_SM-LB-09-e1531922877236-600x800.jpg A small stainless steel figure with extended stick-like appendages sits on a tapestry covered chair enclosed in a wood and steel floor mounted box. A double hung window allows for visual access for viewing.
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 2002
      Bourgeois 2002
      Untitled, 2002
      needlepoint and aluminum
      17 x 12 x 12 inches (43 x 30 x 30 cm)
      70 x 24 x 24 inches (178 x 61 x 61 cm) with vitrine
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-01-CROPPED_SM-LB-8-e1531922847777-678x800.jpg Inside a floor mounted metal aluminum cabinet rests a figurative sculpted head made of multi-colored needlepointed fabric resting on a platform.
    • Ode à la Bièvre
      Louise Bourgeois
      Ode à la Bièvre, 2002
      Bourgeois 2002
      Ode à la Bièvre, 2002
      fabric and color lithograph book
      25 pages, each 11 x 15 ½ inches (28 x 39 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ode-1-1066x800.jpg A beige cotton-looking rectangle with the words Ode de La Bievre printed in blue capital letters in the center vertically. On the left side of the rectangle are four attached vertical cotton loops.
    • Ste. Sébastienne
      Louise Bourgeois
      Ste. Sébastienne, 1998
      Bourgeois 1998
      Ste. Sébastienne, 1998
      ink on Xerox paper mounted on canvas
      77 ½ x 63 inches (197 x 160 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-11-e1531922542737-600x800.jpg
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 1996
      Bourgeois 1996
      Untitled, 1996
      cloth, bone, and steel
      118 ¼ x 82 x 77 inches (300 x 208 x 196 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-02_PS_SM-LB-7-600x800.jpg A floor mounted steel rack features (8) steel extensions from a center pole. Each extension holds a hanger made out of bone on which fabric items of women clothing are placed.
    • Single I
      Louise Bourgeois
      Single I, 1996
      Bourgeois 1996
      Single I, 1996
      fabric, hanging piece
      84 x 52 x 16 inches (213 x 132 x 41 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/lb-web.jpg A full size segmented headless extended fabric figure hangs "upside down", suspended from the ceiling with a cord which is fastened to a supporting hook and ring.
    • Le Défi IV
      Louise Bourgeois
      Le Défi IV, 1994
      Bourgeois 1994
      Le Défi IV, 1994
      painted wood, glass, mirror and electric lights
      73 ½ x 65 x 24 inches (187 x 165 x 61 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BOURl_GF_LeDefi.jpg Large blue crate box sits on three wheels with numerous glass containers and glass shelving inside.
    • Cell I
      Louise Bourgeois
      Cell I, 1991
      Bourgeois 1991
      Cell I, 1991
      painted wood, fabric, metal, and glass
      83 x 96 x 108 inches (211 x 244 x 274 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LB_INSTALL-03_SM-web-600x800.jpg A panelized self supporting wood enclosure, or room, with blue and white painted residential doors acting as the walls which provide openings and access. The room contains many domestic glass and metal objects, including a bed and personalized woven text.
    • Cell III
      Louise Bourgeois
      Cell III, 1991
      Bourgeois 1991
      Cell III, 1991
      painted wood, painted metal, marble, steel, mirror, and glass
      111 x 130 ½ x 165 ⅛ inches (282 x 332 x 419 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LB_INSTALL-22_SM-web-600x800.jpg An enclosure with hinged painted wood and steel industrial doors; the room features a combination of surreal ordinary and extraordinary objects of marble, steel, glass, and a mirror.
    • Cell (Choisy)
      Louise Bourgeois
      Cell (Choisy), 1990-1993
      Bourgeois 1990
      Cell (Choisy), 1990-1993
      marble, metal and glass
      120 ½ x 67 x 95 inches (306 x 170 x 241 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cell-web-e1531921902709-600x800.jpg
    • Legs
      Louise Bourgeois
      Legs, 1986
      Bourgeois 1986
      Legs, 1986
      rubber and steel, hanging piece
      123 x 7 x 3 inches (312 x 18 x 8 cm) right leg
      122 ¾ x 5 ½ x 3 inches (312 x 14 x 8 cm) left leg
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/legs-web.jpg Long, thin, black rubber legs hanging from grey wall almost touching wood floor.
    • The Destruction of the Father
      Louise Bourgeois
      The Destruction of the Father, 1974
      Bourgeois 1974
      The Destruction of the Father, 1974
      latex, plaster, wood, fabric, and red light
      93 ⅝ x 142 ⅝ x 97 ⅞ inches (238 x 362 x 249 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-30-1-1066x800.jpg
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 1972
      Bourgeois 1972
      Untitled, 1972
      painted wood and cardboard
      27 x 23 x 20 inches (69 x 58 x 51 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-29-e1531922262228-600x800.jpg A series of black tube-like forms project both up from a wood base; and down from another wood surface at eye-level. The forms have angled tops, are made of both wood and cardboard, and are spaced together but at random.
    • Fillette (Sweeter Version)
      Louise Bourgeois
      Fillette (Sweeter Version), 1968/1999
      Bourgeois 1968
      Fillette (Sweeter Version), 1968/1999
      pigmented urethane rubber, hanging piece
      23 ½ x 10 ½ x 7 ¾ inches (60 x 27 x 20 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PS_SM-LB-12-e1531922883963-600x800.jpg A ceiling mounted wire-hung brown pigmented urethane rubber object, evocative of organic and prurient figurative representation.
    • Avenza Revisited II
      Louise Bourgeois
      Avenza Revisited II, 1968
      Bourgeois 1968
      Avenza Revisited II, 1968
      plaster, shellac, paint, plastic and wire on wood base
      59 x 55 ⅞ x 94 ½ inches (150 x 142 x 240 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-24-1067x800.jpg A floor mounted shellac treated plaster object sits on a wood base on a wood floor, organic and sinuous in form and delineation.
    • Noir Veine
      Louise Bourgeois
      Noir Veine, 1968
      Bourgeois 1968
      Noir Veine, 1968
      marble
      23 x 24 x 27 inches (58 x 61 x 69 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/lb-web-1-e1531921933285-600x800.jpg On a thick wood rectangular base (which sits on a wood floor) rests a solid black and white veined marble object, delineated with column-like vertical extensions featuring rounded domed tops.
    • Hanging Janus with Jacket
      Louise Bourgeois
      Hanging Janus with Jacket, 1968
      Bourgeois 1968
      Hanging Janus with Jacket, 1968
      bronze, hanging piece
      10 ⅝ x 20 ⅝ x 6 ⅜ inches (27 x 52 x 16 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-26-1066x800.jpg A vertical wire hangs from the top center, connected to a small circle, from which hangs horizontal wing-like shapes. Attached underneath these are short rounded stumps that face inward.
    • The Quartered One
      Louise Bourgeois
      The Quartered One, 1964
      Bourgeois 1964
      The Quartered One, 1964
      plaster with shellac, hanging piece
      62 ¼ x 24 x 20 inches (158 x 61 x 51 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SM-LB-25-e1531922452788-600x800.jpg A (shellac coated) plaster sculpture hangs from the ceiling at eye level by means of a hook and a cable. The sculpture which has an uneven surface features openings of various sizes in the surface, and projections of elements beyond the surface.
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 1954
      Bourgeois 1954
      Untitled, 1954
      painted wood
      73 x 12 x 12 inches (185 x 30 x 30 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-01_SM-LB-3-e1531922859883-600x800.jpg A thin sculpture composed of stacked wood blocks painted white, with a black painted wood base, leans slightly to the left in the gallery.
    • Figure Regardant une Maison
      Louise Bourgeois
      Figure Regardant une Maison, 1950
      Bourgeois 1950
      Figure Regardant une Maison, 1950
      wood
      66 ⅝ x 15 ⅛ x 12 inches (169 x 38 x 30 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-01_SM-LB-6-e1531922854139-600x800.jpg Two tall, thin shapes of turned and carved wood, one resembling a bed post and one resembling a spear, stand on the floor in the gallery.
    • Figure Qui Apporte du Pain
      Louise Bourgeois
      Figure Qui Apporte du Pain, 1950
      Bourgeois 1950
      Figure Qui Apporte du Pain, 1950
      wood
      60 ¾ x 12 x 12 inches (154 x 30 x 30 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-03_PS_SM-LB-5-e1531922841146-600x800.jpg A tall, thin, beige and red-brown, segmented wooden sculpture stands attached to the square-patterned floor in front of a gray painted wall.
    • He Disappeared into Complete Silence
      Louise Bourgeois
      He Disappeared into Complete Silence, 1947/2005
      Bourgeois 1947
      He Disappeared into Complete Silence, 1947/2005
      book of 11 engravings on paper with aquatint and handcoloring accompanied by letterpress text in portfolio
      10 x 14 inches (25 x 36 cm) plates 1 - 9; 10 x 6 ¾ inches (25 x 17 cm) plates 10 - 11
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Courtesy The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
       Courtesy The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BOURG-he-disappeared-1.jpg Two book pages, the left of which has a short story, and the right of which has an abstract drawing of a building/woman.
    • Untitled
      Louise Bourgeois
      Untitled, 1947-1949
      Bourgeois 1947
      Untitled, 1947-1949
      painted wood
      64 x 12 x 12 inches (163 x 30 x 30 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-01_SM-LB-2-e1531922865966-600x800.jpg Tall, thin segmented-form, totem-like painted white wood sculpture with black outlines stands in the gallery.
    • The Tomb of a Young Person
      Louise Bourgeois
      The Tomb of a Young Person, 1947-1949
      Bourgeois 1947
      The Tomb of a Young Person, 1947-1949
      painted wood
      46 x 12 x 12 inches (117 x 30 x 30 cm)
      © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
      Photo: Ron Amstutz
       Ron Amstutz
      Louise Bourgeois https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SHOT-03_SM-LB4-e1531922833744-600x800.jpg In front of a grey wall, a tall thin white figured wood sculpture sits directly fastened into the wood floor.

    Publications

    Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment (2018)

    Introduction by Emily Wei Rales. Text by Briony Fer, Philip Larratt-Smith.

    Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment accompanies the first exhibition of Louise Bourgeois’s (1911–2010) work at Glenstone and features nearly 30 major works drawn from the museum’s collection. From her early wooden Personages to her large hanging sculptures, from suites of drawings and prints to textile works and her immersive Cells, To Unravel a Torment surveys Bourgeois’s career through selected examples from her enormous body of work. Bourgeois was also a prolific writer, matching her sculptural language with reams of psychoanalytic musings on repression, symbolism, and material. To Unravel a Torment also brings together never-before-published diary entries by the artist, annotated by Bourgeois scholar Philip Larratt-Smith, a contribution by art historian Briony Fer, and extensive installation photography.

    Publisher: Glenstone Museum
    ISBN: 9780999802915
    Publication date: 2018
    Page count: 212

    $50.00

    Purchase Catalog
     https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BOURGEOIS_BOOK-01_SM-1-810x1080.jpg
    • The cover of a blue book that says
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to the index page.
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to an essay page.
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to a page showing photographs of the exhibition.
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to a page showing photographs of the exhibition.
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to a page showing photographs of the exhibition.
    • The Louise Bourgeois catalog is open to a page showing Louise's journal entries.
    • The back cover of a blue book with an abstract image of three buildings on the back.
    The cover of a blue book that says "LOUISE BOURGEOIS" on the bottom and has an image of her work "HE DISAPPEARED INTO COMPLETE SILENCE" on the cover.
    The cover of a blue book that says

    News + Press

    Glenstone Museum to Present a Survey Exhibition of the Work of Louise Bourgeois, Opening May 10

    March 22, 2018
    An abstracted headless female figure depicted by blue contour lines with arrows pointing at red spots on various parts of the figure.