Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, L'Espérance, Lithograph on Paper

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Description

Pierre puvis de chavannes (1824-1898)

l'espérance
(hope)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #12 (april … Read more Pierre puvis de chavannes (1824-1898)

l'espérance
(hope)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #12 (april 1898)

on wove paper

year: 1898

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm

signed in the plate "p. Puvis de chavannes - 1 août 1869", lower right

blind stamp of the publisher, lower right

excellent condition: minor signs of age and handling
full margins (not cropped, not trimmed)
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about the collection (l'estampe moderne)

l'estampe moderne appeared in 1897-1899 as a series of 24 monthly fascicles, each containing 4 original lithographs, printed by parisian imprimerie champenois. Many accomplished european art nouveau painters contributed works to this publication, which contained only original prints invented and produced especially for this collection. The publication was edited by charles masson and h. Piazza. Each issue came in a paper cover bearing an original lithograph by alphonse mucha.
each lithograph was accompanied by a tissue containing the details (title of the artwork, name of the artist, etc.) and a short text by a well-known author who inspired the artist.
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the artist

pierre puvis de chavannes was a towering figure in 19th-century french art, serving as a vital bridge between academicism and symbolism. Renowned primarily for his monumental murals, he transformed the walls of major civic institutions—including the panthéon, the sorbonne, and the boston public library—into realms of timeless, rhythmic serenity. His style was a deliberate departure from the intense realism and fleeting light of his impressionist contemporaries; instead, he sought "the simplification of the soul."

his work is characterized by a distinctive palette of muted, chalky tones and simplified, frieze-like compositions. By flattening space and utilizing statuesque, almost archaic figures, puvis de chavannes created a sense of "murality" that respected the architectural integrity of the buildings he adorned. These dreamlike, allegorical landscapes—often depicting themes of labor, peace, or antiquity—evoked a profound sense of stillness and contemplation.

though he maintained a position within the artistic establishment, his radical simplification of form and emphasis on mood over narrative deeply influenced the next generation of modernists, including paul gauguin, georges seurat, and even the young pablo picasso. To his admirers, he was the master of the "ideal," a painter who could make the invisible world of thought visible through silent, luminous color.

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from the text on the tissue paper:

"quelles douces pensées fait naître dans nos cœurs le génie de puvis de chavannes! il est le peintre du rêve heureux. Jamais le chagrin n'a plissé le front pur de ses vierges; jamais le vent n'a tordu ses arbres, déchiré ses nuages, troublé ses eaux. Toujours grec dans l'exécution de ses conceptions, il recherche la sublimité de la beauté, aussi bien de l'homme que de la nature, dans le calme éternel".
a. Dayot
nous ne pouvons mieux présenter que par les quelques lignes qui précèdent, l'espérance que le maître a bien voulu nous donner et que personnifie cette calme physionomie qui semble opposer aux inquiétudes de l'avenir l'inaltérable douceur d'un rêve confiant dans les promesses de la vie.

english translation:

"what sweet thoughts are born in our hearts from the genius of puvis de chavannes! he is the painter of the happy dream. Never has sorrow wrinkled the pure brow of his virgins; never has the wind twisted his trees, torn his clouds, or troubled his waters. Always greek in the execution of his conceptions, he seeks the sublimity of beauty, in man as well as in nature, within an eternal calm."
a. Dayot
we could not better introduce than with the few lines above the work hope (l'espérance), which the master has graciously given us and which is personified by this calm countenance, appearing to oppose the anxieties of the future with the unalterable sweetness of a dream confident in the promises of life.
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important:

. The listing is for the original print, in the above mentioned excellent condition.
. The original tissue paper introduction will be given to the buyer as a gift
. The cover by mucha and the edition (back of the cover) are shown as a reference and proof of authenticity and edition this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less