Destruction of the father

Mediums: plaster, latex, wood, fabric.
Location: the Museum of Modern Art (New York, the USA).

One of the most significant, resonant and shocking works of Bourgeois. The work is an installation, similar to a room or a stone cave, illuminated by a reddish light. The heroes of the work are the father and his descendants, who, unable to withstand the dominance of their father, rebelled against him, killed and ate him. The plot is completely autobiographical, since one of the most traumatic moments of Louise Bourgeois’s childhood was dinner at the family table, during which her father exerted psychological pressure on family members, which caused the girl to think about reprisal against him. This scary sculpture evokes mixed feelings and resembles the work of one of the author’s favorite artist, Spanish painter Francisco Goya.