Louise Bourgeois: Extrême tension

Louise Bourgeois’s graphic work is presented through an exhibition that brings together, for the first time, collections from the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition explores the close relationship between drawing and printmaking, two practices that remain central to Bourgeois’s work alongside sculpture.

The chronological parcours opens with Self-Portrait (1942) and early prints from the 1940s, including the foundational portfolio He Disappeared into Complete Silence (1947), which combines short texts and engraved images. It continues with drawings characterised by overlapping black lines, anthropomorphic architectures such as Femme-Maison, and organic forms that bring together anatomy and vegetation.

At the centre of the exhibition, Extrême Tension (2007) combines printmaking, drawing and handwritten text across eleven large sheets, addressing the ageing body, pain and existential anxiety. The monumental plates from Turning Inwards (2007) are also presented for the first time in France. The exhibition concludes with works in red ink and fabric dye, exploring the body, blood, embrace and motherhood through pregnant, masculine and feminine figures.

Artists’ books and sculptures, including Janus (1968), Topiary (1999) and Pregnant Woman (2003), further highlight the relationship between Bourgeois’s graphic and sculptural practices.