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Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter

May 21 – Sep. 12, 2021

Opening spring 2021, this exhibition of Louise Bourgeois’s art and writings explores her complex relationship with Freudian psychoanalysis.

Perhaps more than any other artist of the twentieth century, Louise Bourgeois (1911 – 2010) produced a body of work that consistently and profoundly engaged with psychoanalytic theory and practice as established by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Bourgeois considered the act of artmaking a form of psychoanalysis, believing that through it she had direct access to the unconscious.

Bourgeois underwent psychoanalytic treatment from 1952 to 1985 (most intensively from 1952 to 1966), and produced an extensive written record of her analysis and its effects on her life. Consisting of dream recordings, process notes, and other texts, her findings constitute a parallel body of work that not only sheds light on the artist’s methods and motivations but also represents an original contribution to the field of psychoanalysis, especially with respect to female sexuality, symbol formation, and the nature of the artist.

The exhibition will feature approximately 50 artworks from throughout Bourgeois’s career, including the Personages of the late 1940s; the organic forms in plaster and latex of the 1960s; the pivotal installation The Destruction of the Father (1974); Passage Dangereux (1997), the largest of the artist’s Cell installations; and fabric sculptures from the last 15 years of her life. These works will be contextualized with a focused selection of Bourgeois’s original writings—many of them presented to the public for the first time—to illuminate her art in light of her complex and ambivalent relationship with Freudian psychoanalysis.

#FreudsDaughter

In the Press

“Writings by the artist, exhibited for the first time in the United States, reveal the psychological trauma that fueled her creativity.”
— The New York Times

“Bourgeois’s retreat into her own psychology may resonate now more than ever.”
— The Times of Israel

“The works in Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter … appear elegantly arrayed and tastefully lit, so that they swell into the space and visitors can admire them from multiple angles and distances.”
— Financial Times

Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter is curated by Philip Larratt-Smith, Guest Curator, and coordinated by Shira Backer, Leon Levy Assistant Curator, The Jewish Museum.

Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter is made possible by lead support from an anonymous gift, The Knapp Family Foundation, Agnes Gund, The Joan Toepfer Charitable Trust, the Robert Lehman Foundation, Toby Devan Lewis, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Leon Levy Foundation, and other generous donors.

Additional support is provided by the Melva Bucksbaum Fund for Contemporary Art, the Barbara S. Horowitz Contemporary Art Fund, and the Alfred J. Grunebaum & Ruth Grunebaum Sondheimer Memorial Fund.

In-kind support is provided by Hauser & Wirth and The Easton Foundation.

The Mobile Tour is supported by

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Darkened gallery space containing a sculptural installation bathed in red light. The scene features an arrangement of large, organic, dome-like forms resembling oversized seeds or pods, placed on the floor and hanging from above. The textured surfaces are illuminated by the dramatic red glow, creating a mysterious, immersive environment. The backdrop and surrounding walls are draped in black fabric, enhancing the theatrical atmosphere.

Louise Bourgeois, The Destruction of the Father, 1974. Latex, plaster, wood, fabric, and red light. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY, Photo: Ron Amstutz.

Exhibition highlights

  • A dark, enclosed room with chain-link fencing on all sides, forming a cage-like environment. Various mismatched wooden chairs are suspended upside-down from the ceiling, creating a disorienting atmosphere. In the center of the space sits a metal mesh table with four sculptural, animal-like feet attached to its surface. Additional chairs of different styles are scattered around the room, some positioned normally on the floor. The lighting emphasizes the textures of the metal fencing and the worn wood of the furniture, contributing to an unsettling, surreal mood.

    Louise Bourgeois, Passage Dangereux (detail), 1997. Metal, wood, tapestry, rubber, marble, steel, glass, bronze, bones, flax, and mirrors. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Photo: Peter Bellamy.

  • A piece of lined notebook paper with four binder holes along the left edge. Handwritten in pencil near the top of the page is the sentence: when I do not

    Louise Bourgeois, Loose sheet of writing, c. 1961. Handwritten in pencil on ruled paper. (LB-0019). © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

  • A sculptural figure of a standing female form covered entirely in pale pink knit fabric. The figure has exaggerated breasts, a slightly protruding belly, and rounded hips. Distinct stitching and seams are visible at the joints and torso. The head features hollow eye sockets and large rounded protrusions resembling stylized pigtails or ear-like shapes on either side. The figure stands on a square black pedestal against a completely black background, emphasizing its texture and form.

    Louise Bourgeois, Hysterical, 2001. Fabric, stainless steel, glass, wood, and lead. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Photo: Christopher Burke.

  • A typed page dated April 24, 1952, titled

    Louise Bourgeois, Loose sheet of writing, April 24, 1952. Typed in black ink on off-white paper. (LB-0462). © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

  • A glass display case containing two modern sculptural objects. On the left is a tall, thin, metal rod supporting a light blue, vertical, fin-shaped form with four horizontal arms, each ending in small colored cylinders (red and blue). On the right stands a vertical, organic-looking column made of stacked, rounded, cream-colored, soft-textured shapes, resembling crocheted or knitted forms. The case has a simple wood frame and sits on a dark floor against a pale background.

    Louise Bourgeois, Conscious and Unconscious, 2008. Fabric, rubber, thread, and stainless steel. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Photo: Christopher Burke.

  • <em>Louise Bourgeois, Freud's Daughter</em> explores Bourgeois's complex relationship with Freudian psychoanalysis through her art and writings. In this video, hear the artist's words brought to life by award-winning actor Rachel Weisz. (Part 2).

    Louise Bourgeois, Freud's Daughter explores Bourgeois's complex relationship with Freudian psychoanalysis through her art and writings. In this video, hear the artist's words brought to life by award-winning actor Rachel Weisz. (Part 2).

  • Psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster explores an assortment of Bourgeois’s journal entries, dreams, and artistic works, to elaborate the texture of her engagement with psychoanalysis.

    Psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster explores an assortment of Bourgeois’s journal entries, dreams, and artistic works, to elaborate the texture of her engagement with psychoanalysis.

  • James L. Weinberg Distinguished Lecture Louise Bourgeois famously called art her “guarantee of sanity,” and she managed her aggression throughout her life by giving it physical form as art objects. Yet psychoanalysis also played a critical role in sustaining her. Without the support of Henry Lowenfeld, the brilliant analyst she often saw several days each week, she would perhaps have lost her ability to access art as a lifeline. Donald Kuspit argues that Bourgeois was, in psychoanalytic terms, a psychotic—she had

    James L. Weinberg Distinguished Lecture Louise Bourgeois famously called art her “guarantee of sanity,” and she managed her aggression throughout her life by giving it physical form as art objects. Yet psychoanalysis also played a critical role in sustaining her. Without the support of Henry Lowenfeld, the brilliant analyst she often saw several days each week, she would perhaps have lost her ability to access art as a lifeline. Donald Kuspit argues that Bourgeois was, in psychoanalytic terms, a psychotic—she had "a personality pattern typified by aggressiveness and interpersonal hostility," to quote the psychologist Hans Eysenck—and that her art-making was a compulsion that allowed her to carry on, if not to heal. For Louise Bourgeois, making art was literally a matter of life and death.

  • The Mildred and George Weissman Program In this virtual lecture, Elisabeth Bronfen, Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Zurich, and Global Distinguished Professor at New York University, considers an important aspect of Louise Bourgeois’s multifaceted engagement with Freudian psychoanalysis: an aesthetic appropriation of the language of hysteria.

    The Mildred and George Weissman Program In this virtual lecture, Elisabeth Bronfen, Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Zurich, and Global Distinguished Professor at New York University, considers an important aspect of Louise Bourgeois’s multifaceted engagement with Freudian psychoanalysis: an aesthetic appropriation of the language of hysteria.

  • A glass display case containing two modern sculptural works, positioned in front of tall windows with blue curtains. The case features a wood frame and sits on a light wood floor in an ornate room with carved wood paneling and detailed crown molding. Inside the case, on the left, is a tall vertical sculpture with a blue, fin-like form mounted on a slender rod with horizontal arms ending in small red and blue cylinders. On the right is a vertical column made of stacked, rounded, white, textured forms resembling soft, crocheted shapes. Natural light softly illuminates the scene.

    Installation view of Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter, The Jewish Museum, NY, May 21-September 11, 2021. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo by Ron Amstutz.

  • A large glass display case with three shelves, showcasing a diverse collection of sculptures, drawings, and mixed media works. The top shelf features three framed line drawings of abstract forms and a white sculpted head with an open mouth on a small pedestal. The middle shelf displays several sculptural pieces: a small pink figurine, a disembodied hand, a pink head, a red and white abstract painting, a blue organic-shaped sculpture, and a small pink mask-like object. The bottom shelf holds rounded terracotta forms, a white abstract piece, a coiled form, and additional framed sketches and artworks. The display sits against a light gray wall in an ornate gallery space with decorative molding.

    Installation view of Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter, The Jewish Museum, NY, May 21-September 11, 2021. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo by Ron Amstutz.

  • A museum gallery with pale gray walls and light wood floors. In the center, a large two-tiered rectangular sculpture made of rough gray stone is positioned on the floor, with small glass objects placed on its top surface. To the left, a black-framed glass case displays a sculpture of a pale pink reclining figure. To the right, a wooden-framed glass case contains a white organic-shaped sculpture. Framed works on paper hang on the walls surrounding the sculptures. In the background, an open doorway reveals another gallery space with large windows and additional artwork. The gallery features ornate crown molding and soft, even lighting.

    Installation view of Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter, The Jewish Museum, NY, May 21-September 11, 2021. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo by Ron Amstutz.

  • A museum gallery displaying a large sculptural installation consisting of several connected chain-link enclosures. Inside the enclosures, numerous wooden chairs and tables are suspended upside down or at odd angles, creating a chaotic, disorienting scene. The room features high ceilings with dark wooden beams, ornate carved woodwork around the windows, and pale wooden floors. Soft lighting and natural light from the tall windows illuminate the installation.

    Installation view of Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter, The Jewish Museum, NY, May 21-September 11, 2021. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo by Ron Amstutz.

  • A dimly lit museum gallery with two distinct sculptures. In the foreground, a smooth white abstract marble sculpture sits on a wooden base, resembling organic or biomorphic forms. In the background, a recessed display glows red, revealing a dramatic installation of bulbous, rounded forms suspended from above and arranged on the floor, creating a cavernous, womb-like atmosphere. The room features pale wood floors and dark wood trim.

    Installation view of Louise Bourgeois: Freud’s Daughter, The Jewish Museum, NY, May 21-September 11, 2021. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo by Ron Amstutz.

Audio

The audio guide is made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Download the audio guide transcript.

The Jewish Museum · Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter

Download the verbal description tour transcript.

The Jewish Museum · Verbal Descriptions of Louise Bourgeois, Freud's Daughter

Download the selected writing transcript.

The Jewish Museum · Louise Bourgeois: Selected Writings