Louise Bourgeois’s ‘Figure’ (1954) is a late example of the artist’s seminal Personage series. This group of wood sculptures, created from 1946 to 1955 and later cast in bronze, heralded a pivotal new chapter of artistic expression within her practice. Combining anthropomorphic and abstract elements, ‘Figure’ consists of geometric, painted bronze elements threaded on a central pole. Rooted in the emotional turmoil that resulted from Bourgeois’s move from Paris to New York, her Personages serve as ‘surrogates’ or representations of the loved ones she had to leave behind, while also echoing the towering cityscape she now inhabited. With its captivating architectural form and psychological depth, ‘Figure’ exemplifies Bourgeois’s desire for emotional balance and stability. The original wood iteration of this work was included in Bourgeois’s major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1982, as well as subsequent important exhibitions, underscoring its significance within her oeuvre.