“The Cross-Eyed Woman,” created in 2004 by Louise Bourgeois in the United States, represents a fine instance of Conceptual Art within the portrait genre. The artwork encapsulates the artist’s intention to delve into the complexities of identity and perception, prevalent themes in Bourgeois’s oeuvre.
The artwork depicts a female figure with distinctive characteristics: her eyes appear crossed, and her hair radiates outward in an almost medusa-like pattern of sinuous, swirling lines. Rendered in red, the portrait is enclosed within an oval frame. The figure’s expression is enigmatic, giving rise to multiple interpretations about her emotional state. The use of red against a simple white background emphasizes the figure, drawing attention to her unusual gaze and the intricate details of her hair. The initials “LB” in the lower right corner subtly mark the artwork as Bourgeois’s creation, tying the piece to her broader body of work that often explores themes of psychological complexity and human relationships.
