From proof to perfection: the genesis of the Vollard suites by Bonnard, Denis, Vuillard, Roussel and Clot

Abstract

"At the turn of the twentieth century, the art dealer and publisher Ambroise Vollard commissioned four extraordinary suites of colour lithographs from the Nabi artists Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Edouard Vuillard and Ker-Xavier Roussel. Published around 1899 and printed by the master lithographer Auguste Clot, these series, each comprising twelve prints and a cover, are among the finest accomplishments in artistic colour lithography. Through refined tonal harmonies, layered and hermetic draughtsmanship, and an innovative use of the process' flatness and abstraction, the artists distilled their poetic inner worlds. The result was an idiom at once luminous and ambiguous, distinctively modern and profoundly personal. Although long recognized as highlights of fin-de-siècle printmaking, the creative genesis of these suites, shaped by prolonged experimentation, technical innovation and intensive collaboration between the artists and their printer, has never been examined in depth. From Proof to Perfection reunites a remarkable body of preparatory drawings, trial proofs and related works in other media, revealing the artistic decisions behind these celebrated suites. The book situates the project within late nineteenth-century lithography, introduces its central protagonists, and traces the collaborative process behind each series. Combining technical insight with art-historical analysis, it offers a major contribution to scholarship on the Nabis and colour lithography, as well as a compelling tribute to a monumental achievement in modern print culture."--Publisher's description.

Contents

Foreword -- Introduction -- Between art, industry and craft: the development of lithography in France -- The artists: the Nabis and colour lithography -- The master printer: Auguste Clot -- The publisher: Ambroise Vollard -- Catalogue -- Pierre Bonnard: quelques aspects de la vie Paris -- Maurice Denis: Amour -- Edouard Vuillard: paysages et intérieurs -- Ker-Xavier Roussel: Paysages -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Appendix: Impressions from the Atelier Clot, Bramsen & Co. -- Glossary / by Julia Krikke -- Bibliography - Index of names -- Photo credits.