Jacques
VILLON
(Damville, Eure 1875 - Puteaux
1963)
A
consummate draughtsman, Villon first became known as an
illustrator and printmaker in the 1890-1900s, working most often
with drypoint in a Belle Epoque style that was not without
an acute sense of observation.
Later, along with his two brothers (Marcel
Duchamp and Raymond Duchamp-Villon), he was instrumental in the
avant-garde movement known as the Section d'Or
(or the Group of Puteaux, from their regular meetings in the Villon
studio there) that began to take shape in 1911. Their ideas of
geometry and proportion in the pyramidal organization of space,
harking back to Leonardo da Vinci, were to deeply influence modern
art.
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La Grande Soeur
The Big Sister
Ginestet & Pouillon 104
drypoint, 1904, the 1st state (of 2)
This superb intimistic portrayal of
the artist's two sisters is one of only 15 impressions.
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En Visite
On a Visit
Ginestet & Pouillon 131
drypoint, 1905, the 2nd state (of 3)
A rare proof of this charming print,
showing the artist's two sisters in Sunday finery.
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Le Chef d'Oeuvre
The Masterpiece
Ginestet & Pouillon 174
drypoint and aquatint, 1907, the only
known state
One of Villon's typical early "social"
prints, inked selectively in black and bistre, and hand coloured
in red and spring green à la poupée.
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Yvonne aux Mains Croisées
Yvonne with Clasped
Hands
Ginestet & Pouillon 225
drypoint, 1905, the only known state
A probing portrait of the artist's sister
Yvonne, with refined psychological overtones.
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Le Petit Equilibriste
The Little Equilibrist
Ginestet & Pouillon 287
etching, 1914, only known state
This strikingly avant-garde composition
represents a circus performer in a handstand, where Villon masterfully
plays with line and tonal values to render acrobatic movement
in geometric form.
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