Ernest Laurent, Soir d'Octobre, 1898, Lithograph on Paper

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Description

Ernest joseph laurent (1859-1929)

soir d'octobre
(october evening)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #11 … Read more Ernest joseph laurent (1859-1929)

soir d'octobre
(october evening)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #11 (march 1898)

on wove paper

year: 1898

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm

signed in the plate "ejl", lower left

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

ernest laurent was a distinguished french painter associated with neo-impressionism and the symbolist movement. A close friend and collaborator of georges seurat, laurent initially experimented with pointillism but eventually developed a more intimate, "soft-focus" technique. He utilized a method of fine, vibratory strokes that bathed his subjects in a luminous, poetic atmosphere.

while his contemporaries often focused on grand landscapes or social scenes, laurent became the master of the private, interior world. He was celebrated for his delicate portraits of women, often depicted in quiet moments of reflection, reading, or sewing. These works are characterized by a profound sense of silence and psychological depth, capturing the subtle interplay of light and shadow on skin and fabric. His ability to blend the rigorous structure of seurat with a tender, emotional sensitivity earned him great acclaim, eventually leading to his appointment as a professor at the école des beaux-arts.

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from the text on the tissue paper:

un long frisson descend des coteaux aux vallées;
des coteaux et des bois, dans la plaine et les champs,
le frisson de la nuit passe vers les allées.
- oh l'angélus du soir dans les soleils couchants! -
sous une haleine froide au loin meurent les chants,
les rires et les chants dans les brumes épaisses.
dans la brume qui monte ondule un souffle lent ;
un souffle lent répand ses dernières caresses,
sa caresse attristée au fond du bois tremblant;
les bois tremblent; la feuille en flocon sec tournoie,
tournoie et tombe au bord des sentiers désertés.
sur la route déserte un brouillard qui la noie,
un brouillard jaune étend ses blafardes clartés;
\.
les jours frileux et courts arrivent. C'est l'automne!
\.
l'été meurt; son soupir glisse dans les lisières.
sous le dôme éclairci des chênes a couru
leur râle entre-choquant les ramures livides.
elle est flétrie aussi ta riche floraison,
l'orgueil de ta jeunesse! et bien des nids sont vides,
ame humaine, où chantaient dans ta jeune saison
les désirs gazouillants de tes aurores brèves.
ame crédule! ecoute en toi frémir encor,
avec ces tintements douloureux et sans trêves
frémir depuis longtemps l'automne dans tes rêves,
dans tes rêves tombés dès leur premier essor.
tandis que l'homme va, le front bas, toi, son âme,
écoute le passé qui gémit dans les bois!

leon dierx

english translation:

a long shiver descends from the hillsides to the valleys;
from the hills and the woods, into the plain and the fields,
the shiver of the night passes toward the pathways.
— oh, the evening angelus in the setting suns! —
under a cold breath, the songs die away in the distance,
the laughter and the songs within the thick mists.
in the rising mist, a slow breath undulates;
a slow breath spreads its final caresses,
its saddened caress deep within the trembling woods;
the woods tremble; the leaf in a dry flake whirls,
whirls and falls at the edge of the deserted paths.
upon the deserted road, a fog that drowns it,
a yellow fog spreads its wan lights;
\.
the chilly and short days arrive. It is autumn!
\.
summer dies; its sigh glides through the forest edges.
beneath the thinned dome of the oaks has run
their death rattle, clashing the livid branches.
it is withered too, your rich flowering,
the pride of your youth! and many nests are empty,
o human soul, where sang in your young season
the chirping desires of your brief dawns.
credulous soul! listen to it still shuddering within you,
with these painful knells that know no truce,
autumn has long been shuddering in your dreams,
in your dreams fallen from their very first flight.
while man walks with his brow bowed low, you, his soul,
listen to the past moaning in the woods!

leon dierx
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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