Louise Bourgeois

Louise Joséphine Bourgeois, b. 1911, was a French-American artist. Although she is best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Bourgeois was also a prolific painter and printmaker.

Bourgeois was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French minister of culture in 1983. Other honors included the Grand Prix National de Sculpture from the French government in 1991; the National Medal of Arts, presented by President Bill Clinton in 1997; the first lifetime achievement award from the International Sculpture Center in Washington D.C,; and election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2008, the French Legion of Honor medal was presented to Bourgeois by President Nicolas Sarkozy in the artist’s Chelsea home.

On May 31, 2010, Louise Bourgeois passed away at the age of 98.

Related Works

• Much like Bourgeois’ surreal spider sculptures, artists Kiki Smith and Wangechi Mutu explore conceptions of the feminine through layered symbolism. 

• Richard Serra, another artist known for his monumental metal sculptures, similarly creates abstract expressionist prints of architectural arches and other forms. View his work.