We've recently had seventeen original coloured etchings come in by Georges Rouault. I can never get my tongue round pronouncing him correctly so just say 'George Renault' to everybody. When I first saw them I thought 'Blimey' but on closer inspection they're really growing on me. There's also a series of wood engravings. But it's the etchings that I keep going back to, and in particular The Tramp, pictured here. We're still wondering how exactly they were done, but the likelihood is that all the colours were applied on one plate, the whole process for each print being incredibly labour intensive. Rouault (1871-1958) worked on the etchings (and woodcuts), collectively called Passion, during 1934-6, and they were eventually printed by Roger Lacouriere and issued by Ambroise Vollard in 1939. All those French names and me not knowing how to put an accent on letters when I'm writing blogs. But don't worry, we speak anglaise here when you phone us with your order- 01572 821424. And you can look at them all here. Au revoir!
Wednesday 17 February 2010
A Passion for Colour
We've recently had seventeen original coloured etchings come in by Georges Rouault. I can never get my tongue round pronouncing him correctly so just say 'George Renault' to everybody. When I first saw them I thought 'Blimey' but on closer inspection they're really growing on me. There's also a series of wood engravings. But it's the etchings that I keep going back to, and in particular The Tramp, pictured here. We're still wondering how exactly they were done, but the likelihood is that all the colours were applied on one plate, the whole process for each print being incredibly labour intensive. Rouault (1871-1958) worked on the etchings (and woodcuts), collectively called Passion, during 1934-6, and they were eventually printed by Roger Lacouriere and issued by Ambroise Vollard in 1939. All those French names and me not knowing how to put an accent on letters when I'm writing blogs. But don't worry, we speak anglaise here when you phone us with your order- 01572 821424. And you can look at them all here. Au revoir!
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The great Flann O'Brien got round the pronunciation problem by referring to this artist as 'George Roll'. But then Flann could get his tongue around Irish so had the right to mangle French.
ReplyDeleteI like the luscious use of colour in these prints.
Yes - i think I could with that on the wall to glance up at for reference whilst warming my toes at the coal fire and taking in few pages of W H Davies............
ReplyDeleteStrangely, for a woman who thinks that, on the whole, art stopped in about 1500, I really like this. There's a tremendous feeling of movement in the picture and the way that the light glows around the tramp makes me think that the Rouault saw a nobility in his figure, possibly even Christ-like in the carrying of his burden and the sense that he is bringing the light with him. Although to me he looks more like a farm laborour than a tramp. Interesting buttocks.
ReplyDeleteThere was a thought in the gallery that he also looked like a batsman just dismissed from the crease, making his way back to the pavilion. Fanciful, but possible.
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