2024-04-23
The unique bronze sculpture "Spider IV" will be auctioned by Sotheby's in Hong Kong at the end of April. Louise Bourgeoise, the author of the work, can be associated, among others, with the monumental construction "Maman", also featuring a spider. The estimated price of "Spider IV" is $ 15-20 million, which will make it the most expensive sculpture sold at an auction in Asia.
Louise Bourgeois is a French-American artist best known for her sculptures and installations. The spider motif, which symbolizes motherhood, is a recurring motif in her work. Bourgeoise's pieces are symbolic, referencing myths and archetypes present in culture. Her art, full of extraordinary sensitivity and self-awareness, tells the story of her childhood, relationship with her parents, mourning after the death of her mother, sexuality and Freudian "unconscious". Despite the artistic career spanning several decades, the artist gained her greatest popularity at the age of over seventy, continuing to create even in the last years of her life.
The figure of the spider in Bourgeois's artistic production, although it evokes rather pejorative associations, had positive overtones for the artist herself. By means of the spider, Bourgeois spun a story about the extraordinary bond she shared with her mother. Spiders, considered by the artist to be useful, unique creatures, were associated with maternal love because of, among other things, their ability to weave webs, which she associated with her mother Joséphine, who worked in the family workshop, renovating antique tapestries. The artist identified her mother's personality with the spider-like qualities of usefulness, care, delicacy, and consideration, thus, self-therapeutically coping with the untimely death of her loved one.
A long-awaited Sotheby's auction will take place in Hong Kong later this month. One of the most notable works to be auctioned is "Spider IV" (1996), the fourth of five editions in the series, a sculpture celebrating maternal tenderness, vigilance and care. The bronze sculpture, over 2m long and 1.8m wide, is intended to be displayed on a wall. With an estimate price between $15 million and $20 million, it will be the most expensive and important work of its kind to be auctioned in Asia.