Louise Bourgeois

Sculpture, Visual Artist

1911 – 2010

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Who was Louise Bourgeois?

Louise Joséphine Bourgeois, was a renowned French-American artist and sculptor, one of the most important artists in modern and contemporary art, and known for her spider structures which resulted in her being nicknamed the Spiderwoman. Her largest spider sculpture titled Maman has loomed over numerous locations around the world, standing at over 30 ft.

She is recognized today as the founder of confessional art.

In the late 1940s, after moving to New York City with her American husband, Robert Goldwater, she turned to sculpture. Though her works are abstract, they are suggestive of the human figure and express themes of betrayal, anxiety, and loneliness. Her work was wholly autobiographical, inspired by her childhood trauma of discovering that her English governess was also her father’s mistress.

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Born
Dec 25, 1911
Paris
Also known as
  • Louise Joséphine Bourgeois
  • Spiderwoman
Parents
Spouses
Children
Nationality
  • United States of America
  • France
Profession
Education
  • École du Louvre
  • Académie de la Grande Chaumière
  • Art Students League of New York
Lived in
  • Paris
Died
May 31, 2010
New York City

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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