Herlinde Koelbl, Louise Bourgeois, 2001

A definite weekend mood à la Louise Bourgeois. This brilliant portrait of the revered French-American artist was taken by German photographer Herlinde Koelbl in New York in 2001. “Louise Bourgeois was an impressive personality and a great artist,” Koelbl has since recalled. “She was a very strict lady… everyone had such respect for her. Before the shoot, she said to me, ‘Only one roll [of film]’. As I finished the roll, I said, ‘Would you do me a favour?’ and asked her to sip her Coca-Cola. That’s why this picture shows her looking less stern than she usually does: if you drink, you can’t look so serious!”