Ninth Bucolic, Moeris and Lycidas wait for Virgil
Jacques Villon; Scripta et Picta
Description
Subject Matter:
Though Villon had been a prolific printmaker for much of his career, this work comes slightly later and represents his first attempt at book illustration. This print is from his illustrations of Virgil's Eclogues, which Paul Valéry translated and put together with Villon in lavish binding. In this scene, the bucoliques or herdsmen Moeris and Lycidas stand with two of their cattle and wait for Virgil. Villon's rendition of the scene emphasizes color over detail. This leaves the scene slightly abstracted, and the geometric quality of the figures and landscape here remind the viewer of Villon's ties to the cubist style.
Physical Description:
This horizontally formatted, primarily blue lithograph includes two figures dressed in yellow robes with pinkish skin, just to the left of center. The rest of the scene is a landscape with mountain ranges in the background. In front of the two figures are two abstracted animals in yellow.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.