Sainte Sébastienne
Louise Bourgeois
American, born France. 1911–2010
1990
A drypoint with hand additions by Louise Bourgeois that transforms the icon of Saint Sebastian into a stylized nude pierced by arrows, using the printed line to probe pain, desire, and resilience in the body.
You first notice the spare, flowing etched contours of a curving, animated figure interrupted by bold arrows and horizontal marks, while wispy hair and subtle hand-applied color trail off like a ghostly counterpoint, creating a tense yet lyrical presence.
In Bourgeois’s late work this print reframes religious martyr imagery as intimate psychological terrain, demonstrating how her direct use of printmaking opened up new ways to make visible personal trauma, memory, and feminine subjectivity.
Medium
Drypoint, with hand additions
Dimensions
plate: 16 3/4 x 9 15/16" (42.6 x 25.3 cm); sheet: 24 1/2 x 18 1/8" (62 x 46 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the artist
Accession
598.1993
Palette
Exhibitions
