Félix Edouard Vallotton. Born December 28, 1865

Sunset

Félix Vallotton, in full Félix Edouard Vallotton, (born December 28, 1865, Lausanne, Switzerland—died December 28, 1925, Paris, France), Swiss-born French graphic artist and painter known for his paintings of nudes and interiors and in particular for his distinctive woodcuts.  

He was born into a conservative middle-class family in Lausanne, and there he attended Collège Cantonal, graduating with a degree in classical studies in 1882. In that year he moved to Paris to study art under Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Gustave Boulanger at the Académie Julian. He spent many hours in the Louvre, where he greatly admired the works of Holbein, Dürer and Ingres; these artists would remain exemplars for Vallotton throughout his life. Vallotton's earliest paintings, chiefly portraits, are firmly rooted in the academic tradition. In 1885 he painted the Ingresque Portrait of Monsieur Ursenbach as well as his first painted self-portrait (seen at left), which received an honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1886.

 Vallotton worked in woodcut almost exclusively throughout the 1890s. In 1892 he began associating with a group of artists called the Nabis (from Hebrew navi, meaning “prophet,” or “seer”)—Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, and Maurice Denis. Vallotton exhibited with them for the first time that year at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Though only loosely affiliated with the group, Vallotton, like them, looked to Symbolist artists and to the Japanese tradition of woodcut. Both stressed the flatness of the surface and the use of simplified abstract forms, strong lines (evident in Vallotton’s prints), and bold colors. 

“I think I paint for people who are level-headed but who have an unspoken vice deep inside them,”

Road at St Paul (Var) 1922 

Le Bois de la Gruerie et le ravin des Meurissons (1917)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Félix_Vallotton

Internet Archive here

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Felix-Vallotton

Félix Edouard Vallotton. Born on this day in 1865

Sunset

December 28, 1865. Félix Edouard Vallotton (December 28, 1865 - December 29, 1925) was a Swiss/French painter and printmaker associated with Les Nabis. He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut. 

Félix Vallotton, in full Félix Edouard Vallotton, (born December 28, 1865, Lausanne, Switzerland—died December 28, 1925, Paris, France), Swiss-born French graphic artist and painter known for his paintings of nudes and interiors and in particular for his distinctive woodcuts.

 Vallotton worked in woodcut almost exclusively throughout the 1890s. In 1892 he began associating with a group of artists called the Nabis (from Hebrew navi, meaning “prophet,” or “seer”)—Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, and Maurice Denis. Vallotton exhibited with them for the first time that year at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Though only loosely affiliated with the group, Vallotton, like them, looked to Symbolist artists and to the Japanese tradition of woodcut. Both stressed the flatness of the surface and the use of simplified abstract forms, strong lines (evident in Vallotton’s prints), and bold colors. 

Road at St Paul (Var) 1922 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Félix_Vallotton

Internet Archive here

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Felix-Vallotton

Hokusai Says

Calligraphy @ Nancy Ewart

Those lucky enough to live in London or have access to this exhibit at the British Museum are in for a rare treat

"Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is widely regarded as Japan’s most famous and influential artist. He produced works of astonishing quality right up until his death at the age of 90. This new exhibition will lead you on an artistic journey through the last 30 years of Hokusai’s life – a time when he produced some of his most famous masterpieces.”

The shows will also include several films which, to this date, are only being shown in Great Britain and in Canada. I hope they will appear here in the Bay Area because none of our museums have ever hosted a show of this scope and magnitude.

Throughout the exhibition, outstanding examples of Hokusai’s work will show the artist’s creative breadth and depth. A selection of superb landscapes is introduced with the iconic Great Wave – itself part of a print series of views of Mt Fuji….

A quick search of the Asian Art Museums collections only generated this information for teachers but apparently none of Hokusai’s works are on view. The Auchenbach Foundation at the Legion of Honor may have some of Hokusai’s woodcuts but lacking a search function, it’s impossible to tell

Hokusai Complete Works: http://www.katsushikahokusai.org

Thinkgs you did not know here

The wave that swept the world here

Posada

February 02, 1951. José Guadalupe Posada (February 2, 1852 - January 20, 1913) was a Mexican cartoonist illustrator and artist whose work has influenced many Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and political engagement. In this undated photo released by the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes de Mexico (CONACULTA), is seen an engraving by Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. In 2013, Mexico marks the 100 year anniversary of the death of Posada with exhibitions, publications and concerts. Posada is the creator of "La Catrina", a popular engraving of a skull wearing an elegant hat.

Happy Halloween

Many choices for classical background music: http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/13-scariest-pieces-classical-music-halloween

Saturday art notes

✦ California's Tom Killion, who has a fascinating background, is a terrific wood-cut artist. His printmaking process, which he jokingly calls "faux ukiyo-e", was spotlighted in the PBS documentary Craft in America: Process, and his studio in Pt. Reyes is the subject of In the Make. His prints are all in limited editions and signed and numbered. They are exquisite. His handprinted books are particularly fine. 

 A large selection of Killion's original wood-cuts and large Iris prints are on show at Book Passage Gallery through the end of this year. For the 50th anniversary of the death of poet Robinson Jeffers, Killion created a broadside, in a limited edition of 50 prints, featuring Jeffers's home Tor House in snow and the poem "In the Evening the Dusk". (An image of the broadside is shown on the main page for Tor House.)

(Orig from writing without paper)

He will also be showing Sausalito Art Festival during Labor Day Weekend

Killion will be showing large work, original woodcut prints and the blocks they are made from, at the Bay Area's premier outdoor art show. Booth #333; Gala Friday evening; Sat.-Sun. 10-7pm; Mon. 10-5pm. Visit sausalitoartfestival.org for complete info.

Have you seen International Arts Movement's Tumblr site? Art submission opportunities, IAM exhibits, jobs in the arts fields, arts scholarships, and internship opportunities are just a few of the features you'll find there. 

Terry St. John at Dolby Chadwick closes this weekend: http://www.examiner.com/article/terry-st-john-at-dolby-chadwick-matisse-soundwave-at-somarts

Highly recommended at the Asian: http://www.examiner.com/article/from-two-arises-three-korea-day-and-more-at-the-asian-art-museum

The Opening of Waterloo Bridge', by John Constable (1832). Photograph: V&A

Turner and Constable exhibitions revive Britain's greatest art rivalry

The Blue Rigi, Sunrise', by JMW Turner (1842). Photograph: Tate Britain

The most spectacular (19th century) artistic rivalry in British history will be revived in September when blockbuster exhibitions by two of the nation's most renowned painters pitch them into direct competition, just as they were in their lifetimes two centuries ago.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/aug/24/jmw-turner-john-constable-exhibtions-tate-britain-va