1. Louise bourgeois

2. Early Life
Born in Paris in 1911, Louise Bourgeois grew up in the apartment above her parents tapestry restoration business
She was an intelligent student and frequently helped her parents in their workshop: fixing, washing and drawing missing pieces of tapestries

3. Emotional Trauma
During her childhood, her father had an affair with her English tutor who lived in the family's home
She was devastated by this event and felt an enormous sense of betrayal
She was extremely close with her mother and it scarred her to see how much pain her mother was in
This event inspired much of her later work

4. Youth As a teenager Louise attended an elite school in Paris.
She went on to study math and philosophy
It wasn't until her mother's death in , that she began studying art
Louise Bourgeois photographed by Brassaï at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière in Paris in 1937.

5. Beginning of Career
In 1938 Louise opened her own gallery in a section of her father's showroom
She displayed her prints and paintings and her work started to gain popularity
This gallery is where she met art historian Robert Goldwater
They got married, moved to New York and had three sons

6. Life in America
In New York, Louise enrolled in The Art Students League and focused on printmaking and painting
During the 1940’s and 50’s her husband introduced her to many New York artists, critics, and dealers
She started creating more sculptures
During this time she also had many solo shows in different New York galleries

7. Later Life
Louise dominated the art world throughout the 1970’s and 80’s
She continued creating art right until the end of her life in 2010
She died at the late age of 98.

8. Common Characteristics
Her work is know for being very personal
The themes of her work revolve around the unconscious, sexual desire and the body
Almost all her pieces connect back to things she experienced in her childhood

9. Most Famous Piece Title: Maman Artist:: Louise Bourgeois Created: 1999
Material: bronze, stainless steel, marble
Location: Ottawa, Canada

10. Maman
The cage-like structure of the legs are representative of the sense of comfort and security her mother gave her.
The marble eggs under the body are symbols of fertility and femininity

11. ‘’The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend
‘’The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.’’
— Louise Bourgeois

12. Title: Femme Volage (Fickle Woman)
Artist:: Louise Bourgeois
Created: 1951
Material: painted wood and stainless steel

13. Title: Soft Landscape I
Artist:: Louise Bourgeois
Created: 1967
Material: plastic

14. Title: The Destruction of the Father
Artist:: Louise Bourgeois
Created: 1974
Material: plaster, latex, wood, fabric

15. Works Cited
"Louise Bourgeois Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works."The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 Sept
"LOUISE BOURGEOIS: THE COMPLETE PRINTS & BOOKS." MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 22 Sept
"Maman (sculpture)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June Web. 22 Sept