Photo : The Easton Foundation / Adagp, Paris. Crédit photo : © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Jean-Claude Planchet/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn
Louise Bourgeois. Extreme Tension
Discover the raw and visceral world of Louise Bourgeois in an exhibition that highlights the intimate bond between her drawings and printmaking. By bringing together two monumental collections, the showcase reveals an artist whose work remains as haunting and urgent as ever.
BnF Richelieu – Galerie Mansart - galerie Pigott (Paris 2nd)
About
BnF Richelieu hosts Louise Bourgeois. Extrême tension from October 20, 2026, to February 21, 2027. This exhibition marks the first time the complementary collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Centre Pompidou are brought together to showcase the interdependence between the artist's drawings and etchings. Visitors can explore these works within the Galerie Mansart and the Galerie Pigott. Admission fees range from 0 to 15 euros, and the venue is located at 5, rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris.
A major figure in contemporary art, Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) built her work on the margins of the great movements that marked the 20th century — surrealism, abstract expressionism, minimalism… — developing a deeply personal language that still exerts a profound influence on many artists.
Settling in New York in 1938, she discovered printmaking at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17 — a technique that, along with drawing, would become essential to her entire body of work. Printmaking, drawing, and sculpture nourish one another; words are inscribed within images; gestures repeat like rituals.
In 1995, the Musée national d’art moderne – Centre Pompidou and the Bibliothèque nationale de France dedicated two separate exhibitions to her graphic work: drawings on one side, and prints and books on the other. On that occasion, the Bibliothèque nationale de France received an exceptional donation from the artist: around one hundred plates covering the entirety of her production, a collection subsequently enriched by regular donations from the Friends of the BnF.
The Centre Pompidou's Graphic Arts Cabinet acquired recent drawings, primarily from the 1990s, to which several consecutive donations from the artist, the Clarence Westbury Foundation, and the American Friends of the Centre Pompidou were added.
Today, the Centre Pompidou holds 91 works (drawings, prints, sculpture, and installation) and the BnF more than a hundred prints as well as eight artist's books. By bringing together these two complementary collections for the first time, the exhibition allows us to understand the interdependence of drawing and printmaking in Louise Bourgeois's work, and highlights the main themes that punctuate her career.
Our take on this event
Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010), a pivotal figure in contemporary art who crafted her own unique path, is the subject of this comprehensive exhibition. After moving to New York in 1938, she mastered etching at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17, a practice that became central to her work alongside drawing and sculpture. Her creative process is characterized by repetitive gestures and a profound fusion of text and imagery.
This presentation highlights the artistic dialogue between the BnF, which holds over one hundred prints and eight artist's books, and the Centre Pompidou, which houses 91 works including drawings, prints, and sculptures. By uniting these collections, the exhibition provides a clear perspective on the recurring themes that defined Bourgeois's career. Guests are invited to visit the Galerie Mansart and the Galerie Pigott to discover this curated selection.
The exhibition is open from October 20, 2026, to February 21, 2027. Doors are open on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 20:00, and from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00. Tickets are available with pricing between 0 and 15 euros.
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