Jacques Villon Artwork Details

Detailed Description

Reference : Ginestet & Poullon E.51
Size: 380 x 495 mms (Image size) ; 662 x 568 mms (Paper size)

Note 1: The artist Jaqcues Villon made a number of classic works after some of the major artists of his time of which this is an example. In 1922, in straightened circumstances, he was commissioned by the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune to produce a series of colour aquatints after 38 major 19th and 20th century paintings by artists including the Douanier Rousseau, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Braque, Dufy, Modigliani, Manet, Bonnard. Laurencin and many others, and those artists who were still alive collaborated and signed the prints which were meant to provide the public with access to works which were not otherwise available (colour photography was not an option for reproducing art in those days). The project took 10 years to fulfil. Many of these prints are highly prized today and some went on to be widely reproduced by the Louvre Museum as photo-etchings.

Note 2: The catalogue raisonee calls for these works to be numbered and signed and our piece is just numbered. However having researched the issue we have found quite a number of numbered and unsigned proofs extant (For example : 14/9/2004 number 22/100, unsigned, sold in Swann sale - New York) . It seems to us that this must have been a common facet of this beautiful and sought after print.

Edition: 51/200
Published by: Galerie Bernhein-Jeune, Paris, France.