Louise Bourgeois Exhibition at the BnF: Drawings, Engravings and Nerves Laid Bare

The BnF Richelieu in Paris presents the exhibition "Louise Bourgeois. Extreme Tension," devoted to the drawings and prints by the Franco-American artist, from October 20, 2026 to February 21, 2027. A landmark gathering of the BnF’s holdings with those of the Centre Pompidou.

Traces that tell a lifetime... The Bibliothèque nationale de France presents Louise Bourgeois. Extreme Tension, an exhibition devoted to the drawings and prints of the Franco-American artist in the Galeries Mansart and Pigott of the Richelieu site, in Paris, from October 20, 2026 to February 21, 2027. For the first time, the BnF and the Centre Pompidou bring together their collections devoted to Louise Bourgeois, offering an unprecedented look at the graphic work of this major figure in contemporary art. It also marks the first exhibition dedicated to her by a Paris public institution since 2008.

The exhibition highlights a key facet of Louise Bourgeois's practice (1911-2010), widely celebrated for her monumental sculptures, yet drawing and printmaking sit at the core of her career. Arriving in New York in 1938, she discovered printmaking at Atelier 17, run by Stanley William Hayter, and, together with drawing, transformed it into a true workshop for creation. The two techniques continually converse in her work, where forms, words, and gestures recur, building a deeply personal artistic language.

The exhibition brings together the holdings cared for by the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Centre Pompidou, two collections shaped by the artist’s gifts and acquisitions since the 1990s. Drawings, prints, artist’s books, as well as sculptures and installations, reveal the close ties that bind the different facets of his work. By juxtaposing these complementary collections, the show highlights the major themes that run through his oeuvre, from family relationships to memory, including the body, emotions, and psychological tensions.

Across this exceptional gathering of works rarely shown together, the BnF offers a fresh reading of Louise Bourgeois's graphic œuvre. The exhibition invites us to view her career from a new angle, highlighting pieces that illuminate the richness and coherence of her artistic universe.

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.