Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), born into a well-to-do French family, moved to New York in 1938 with her husband, art historian Robert Goldwater. There, she lived and worked, raised three sons, and became globally renowned for her installations and sculptures, celebrated as a fierce icon of female artistry. Throughout her life, she maintained an open home, engaging with young artists in her library, giving interviews, and allowing high-profile magazines to photograph her. At 84, she met French photographer Jean-François Jaussaud, known for stylish interiors featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She set one condition: if she disliked his images, he would have to destroy them. Jaussaud passed the test, earning the freedom to photograph her over the next eleven years. He captured her in her Brooklyn studio, under one of her giant bronze spiders, and in her Chelsea brownstone, filled with childhood memories, collections, drawings, art supplies, and old photographs. The interplay of Bourgeois's work and life is seamlessly intertwined, showcasing the essence of the grande dame of contemporary art.
