Harmless Woman 1969

Louise Bourgeois cast this bronze sculpture, *Harmless Woman*, in a way that makes me think of vulnerability and strength all at once. The shiny golden surface is punctuated by marks and dents, almost like skin, and the rounded, soft forms suggest a kind of fertility, or growth. I wonder about Bourgeois making this. It's kind of an awkward figure – almost humorous. The title itself, *Harmless Woman*, suggests a bit of irony, as though there's something more complex going on beneath the surface. It reminds me of other women artists like Eva Hesse or Lee Bontecou, who also used unusual materials and forms to explore questions of the body, gender, and identity. What I like about this piece is how it balances the hard, permanence of bronze with the softness and fragility of the body, making us question where these things overlap and differ.