The Cogent Reason

Félix Vallotton was one of the artists who helped to turn printmaking into an art in its own right, as opposed to merely a method of reproduction. Like many artists of his generation, he was influenced by the Japanese woodcuts which were then being presented in Europe, and he was also interested in Symbolism. His unique and innovative style, however, led the way for others. Signatures of his style are large areas of pure black and white, emphasizing outline and shapes, without using hatching for shading or modelling. He also has a very modern sense of cropping and leaving areas hidden. His subjects are often domestic scenes, and his most famous works are a series of ten scenes dealing with relationships between men and women, published in 1898 and called Intimités (Intimacies). Right now at Grand Palais you can visit a huge exposition of Vallotton works.