Le Bon Marché

Description

Like his fellow artists of the Nabi group, Vallotton was fascinated by Japanese prints. Mostly during the 1890s Vallotton experimented with the medium of woodcut. In this process a wood block is carved with a gouge or knife so as to leave the lines that are to be inked and printed in relief. Using the side of the wood rather than its end made it easier to make flowing lines but more difficult to render details. Vallotton used these features to his advantage, creating decorative yet dramatic images in black and white that exhibit flattened forms and simplified compositions.¸¸This depiction of the Parisian department store "Le Bon MarchÇ", showing the capacious popular establishment filled with shoppers, in an indoor version of the crowded street scenes for which the artist was well known. These predominately female customers represent a social mix, avidly engaged in leisurely consumerism. Five years after executing this print, Vallotton painted a large triptych on the same theme.