Really fascinating how Vallotton's use of complementary colors in his nudes deliberately undermined viewer expectations. That unsual red-violet and greenish-yellow combo in The Purple Hat feels almost antagonistic,which completely breaks from the seduction typically baked into that genre. I dunno if many artists at the time were actively working against their own subject matter like that. Reminds me of how some modernists started treating beauty as suspect rather than the end goal.
That's a good point. As I was looking at Vallotton's work, I found myself thinking that perhaps his work has been misunderstood or misinterpreted by many viewers, from his own time to ours.
Happy New Year, and oh, do you ever bring the New Year in with the most glorious of fireworks! Since I first spotted Vallotton—not so long ago—I have been drawn to his work whenever I see it. Your essay offers a plethora of reasons for that response. Those prints are astonishing, just as one example (and all of them are new to me, as is true of most of your selections). Thank you so much for this gorgeous essay, and welcome back!
Thanks, Susan. I have also been continually surprised by Vallotton's work. So many writers are dismissive of his work after the Nabis period but I found many that were very striking. He did make some awkward looking nude groups, probably trying to follow in Ingres' footsteps, but every artist has weaknesses. I'm glad you enjoyed the essay.
I continue to appreciate your writing so much. You introduced me to another artist, Felix Vallotton, and provided fascinating analysis of his style, his growth, and his comparison to other artists and art forms. Thank you!
New artist for me, so thank you very much! So interesting, the designs that the woodcuts inspired, where the people emerge or attach to the walls by dark and light.
Thank you, and I am wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
Really fascinating how Vallotton's use of complementary colors in his nudes deliberately undermined viewer expectations. That unsual red-violet and greenish-yellow combo in The Purple Hat feels almost antagonistic,which completely breaks from the seduction typically baked into that genre. I dunno if many artists at the time were actively working against their own subject matter like that. Reminds me of how some modernists started treating beauty as suspect rather than the end goal.
That's a good point. As I was looking at Vallotton's work, I found myself thinking that perhaps his work has been misunderstood or misinterpreted by many viewers, from his own time to ours.
Happy New Year, and oh, do you ever bring the New Year in with the most glorious of fireworks! Since I first spotted Vallotton—not so long ago—I have been drawn to his work whenever I see it. Your essay offers a plethora of reasons for that response. Those prints are astonishing, just as one example (and all of them are new to me, as is true of most of your selections). Thank you so much for this gorgeous essay, and welcome back!
Thanks, Susan. I have also been continually surprised by Vallotton's work. So many writers are dismissive of his work after the Nabis period but I found many that were very striking. He did make some awkward looking nude groups, probably trying to follow in Ingres' footsteps, but every artist has weaknesses. I'm glad you enjoyed the essay.
I continue to appreciate your writing so much. You introduced me to another artist, Felix Vallotton, and provided fascinating analysis of his style, his growth, and his comparison to other artists and art forms. Thank you!
You are very welcome. Thanks for letting me know!
New artist for me, so thank you very much! So interesting, the designs that the woodcuts inspired, where the people emerge or attach to the walls by dark and light.
I'm very glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting.