Jacques Villon (1875-1963), Pour le Bapteme de Madeleine, 1900, aquatint , etching, printed in soft blue ink, signed in pencil lower right and numbered 7/10. On laid paper. Reference: Genestet and Pouillon 45, only state. [Also signed in the plate "G Duchamp", fully titled, dated "Juin 1900", and with the name Madeleine added on the box cover (?) lower right.] In very good condition, the full sheet with margins (indications of inking in margins, as typical of a trial proof). 7 1/8 x 5 5/8, the sheet 14 1/4 x 11 inches.

A fine, delicately and lightly printed impression of this great rarity (the picture above shows a pink not in the actual print). Although an edition of 50 impressions is indicated, this print is only rarely encountered, and is here numbered as in an edition of 10.

In 1970 Lucien Goldschmidt (Jacques Villon, A Collection of Graphic Work 1896-1913 in Rare or Unique Impressions) catalogued an impression of “Pour le Bapteme de Madeleine” as the frontispiece of a menu, presumably for the celebration of Madeleine’s (Villon’s young sister) Baptism.

At this early point in his career (he was 25) Villon had begun experimenting with aquatint; this proof shows that he had achieved mastery by this time.

A very fine impression of this important early cubist composition.

Villon’s experiments with printmaking were an important part of his work throughout the “Fin de Siecle” period, and up until about 1913 most of his output was essentially realist/modernist. His move to cubism in prints in 1913 was a major shift. Le Petite Equilibriste was one of his most successful smaller format cubist prints.

Le Petite Equilibriste is rather astonishing as a print because of how extensively the plate has been worked. For example, looking at the plate “close up” the print is full of ink scattering – it appears that acid has been systematically dripped on the plate, in lines in some areas, and drips in others. Some areas appear to have been worked extensively with a burnishing tool, others are worked so fully with a drypoint needle that the lines tend to blend into one another.

Of course at this stage of his career Villon was quite conversant with etching techniques, and so it appears that he realized that to achieve a vibrant, many dimensional cubist effect, he needed to develop a complex, heavily worked on plate. Some of the impressions of Le Petite Equilibriste that we’ve seen appear rather the worse for all this wear; in this impression the effects that Villon wanted to achieve work magnificently.

Jacques Villon (1873-1963), Une Grand Mere, drypoint, 1943, signed in pencil lower right, inscribed “epreuve d’essai” lower left, and inscribed “a Arnold Newman” center. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon 475, only state; a trial proof impression before the edition of 45. In very good condition, with margins (slight soiling in margins and verso, slightest mat tone), on laid paper, 9 3/8 x 7, the sheet 12 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches, matted.

A fine impression of this rarely encountered image.

Villon’s cubist prints are among his most interesting and sought after. Here he demonstrates his use of the drypoint technique to interweave various gradations of  black against a background of straight drypoint or engraved lines.

This impression is inscribed to the late Arnold Newman, a world-famous photographer; Newman was friendly with a number of artists who, as in this instance,  provided him with examples of their work.

Une Grand-Mere has been exhibited at various museums in the United States including the Museum of Modern Art (1953) and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (1964), and was also shown widely in Europe – Athens, Paris, Oslo, Lisbon, etc.

The portrait is of Mme. Merlin, the mother of Mme. Andre Mare; Villon also made a painting of this woman.

Jacques Villon, Minne Sitting (Minne Assise a Terre), drypoint, 1907, signed in pencil. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon 196.  In very good condition, on hand made cream laid paper, the full sheet with deckle edges, 9 1/2 x 6 3/4, the sheet 11 x 8 1/2 inches, archival mounting.

A very fine artist’s proof impression of this delightful subject (who was the subject of a number of etchings Villon made at about this time), with carefully wiped plate tone creating a halo-like ground surrounding Minne.

G&P call for an edition of approximately 50; however, we have not seen other impressions of this print on the market, nor was it included in Lucien Goldschmidt’s major Villon print sale of 1970 (A Collection of Graphic Work 1896-1913 in Rare or Unique Impressions); we thus believe this print to be quite uncommon in any state, and this proof impression of the utmost rarity.

This is from the Minne series, a group of prints made by Villon in 1907, portraying the young daughter of a friend in various poses. Minne’s real name was Renee, and she achieved a sort of fame four years later when Villon made his landmark cubist prints of her. In this modernist/expressionist portrait Villon explores the enigmatic character of a young girl, a subject which held much fascination for him at this early stage in his career.

Jacques Villon (1875-1963) etching, aquatint, and drypoint, Minne Playing with a Cat (Minne Jouant avec un Chat),1907, signed in pencil and numbered (12/30)(Ginestet and Pouillon 192).

A very good impression, with bright contrasts and strong burr from the drypoint, on laid Japan with margins. Ex. coll: Estate of June W. Schuster; Mrs David Steinmetz III.

In good condition, with margins (pale light and mat stain in margins, minor soiling at the bottom left margin corner), 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 (the sheet 13 x 9) inches.

This is from the Minne series, a group of prints made by Villon in 1907, portraying the young daughter of a friend in various poses. Minne’s real name was Renee, and she achieved a sort of fame four years later when Villon made his landmark cubist prints of her. In this modernist/expressionist portrait Villon explores the enigmatic character of a young girl, a subject which held much fascination for him at this early stage in his career.

Jacques Villon (1875-1963), two drypoints, 1905, (Ginestet and Pouillion E156) each signed in pencil: an impression of the final state (third state of three) printed in bistre, with lettering (Adresse Sagot); and an impression of the second state (of 3), before lettering, printed in sanguine.

Both in very good condition: impression in bistre on cream wove with wide margins; impression in sanguine with wide margins, on laid paper, with very pale time staining in upper right sheet edge, minor surface soiling. Image: 9 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (sheets: 12 1/2 x 10, 14 x 10), archival mounting.

Both fine fresh atmospheric impressions of this rarely seen image, with substantial burr from the drypoint work.

During the period 1904-6 Villon spent much time on printmaking, often focusing on portraits of women, and also made drawings for weeklies, re-using the drawings for prints. In this instance, he created an independent work of art which was ultimately used to illustrate an address card for the publisher Sagot.

Jacques Villon,  L’Oiseau (The Bird), drypoint and etching, c. 1921, signed in pencil lower right and inscribed “tire a 50″ lower left margin [also signed and dated in the plate]. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon E293, only state. From the first edition of 50 (additional impressions were pulled for the book Eloge de Jacques Villon by Jacques Lassaigne in 1955). In very good condition, tiny spot on matrix upper center, on laid paper with wide margins with deckle edges,  4 x 6 5/8, the sheet 6 1/2 x 9 5/8 inches, archival mounting (hinged between acid free boards, window mat and mylar cover).

A fine rich impression.

This is one of Villon’s most successful small cubist prints in which he varies the patterns and textures of each plane. Villon succeeds largely because of his awareness that creating the successful cubist print does not call for mechanical adherence to structure or formula; he notes that although in transforming the object into a cubist artwork there is no room for chance, one must allow a place for poetry and mystery in the cubist work. This may help explain his apparent use of phosphorous (or some grain) to create tiny patterns of dots here and there, as well as his use of irregular spacing and shading in what at first glance would appear to be highly regularized linear patterns.

He wrote: “Ce qui m’a seduit dans le Cubisme c’est la recherche de creation, la discipline qui conduit au tableau volontaire, ordonnance, ou il n’y a plus place pour le hasard. L’oeuvre d’art devient ‘chose en soi’, s’appuyant sur le sujet, mais le transformation pour en faire une creation nouvelle qui dans son organisation voulue, contienne un peu de la poesie, du mystere de la vie.” So, cubism shouldn’t be just  mechanical adherence to a discipline, it should have some poetry, some mystery.

Jacques Villon (1875-1963),  La Parisienne (tournee a gauche, petite planche), 1904, etching and aquatint in color (black, brown, red), signed  and dated (‘04) in pencil. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon E093, fifth state (of five). In very good condition, with margins, 9 1/2 x 6 1/2, the sheet 13 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches.

A fine delicately printed impression.

Provenance: Louis Carre (1897-1977), Villon’s dealer in both New York and Paris, who organized the first comprehensive exhibit of Villon’s graphic work, in Paris in 1954, and who kept many of the finest working proofs of Villon’s early prints, such as this one, which passed through his estate. The Carre stock number 11320 is written verso.

At this stage in his career Villon was experimenting with colored etching, in a Belle Epoque/Modernist mode; this is much before his later cubist efforts.

Marcel Duchamp (Villon’s brother) has stated that Yvonne Duchamp was the model for this print, as shown by a note on the Museum of Modern Art impression of the print. Our impression is comparable to the MOMA impression – in both the chair is printed in orange (in the NY Public Library impression it’s salmon).

Jacques Villon (1875-1963), La Parisienne, (tournee a gauche, petite planche), 1904, etching, roulette and aquatint, signed in pencil [also signed in plate]. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon E093. Second state (of  5).  In very good condition. On cream wove paper, with margins, 9 3/8 x 6 1/2, the sheet 15 x 11, archival mounting.

A fine proof impression, with the fine roulette effects very evident, the aquatint layering clear and effective, and careful shading through the use of plate tone.

Marcel Duchamp (Villon’s brother) has stated (in a note on the Museum of Modern Art impression of this print) that Yvonne Duchamp was the model for this print.

Jacques Villon (1875-1963), La Couseuse (The Seamstress), 1905, signed in pencil lower right margin. Reference: Ginestet and Pouillon 147, Auberty and Perussaux 96. On a heavy cream laid paper with a partial initials watermark. In good condition apart from slight time stain; soft fold along a laid paper line, a few marks in margins. Archival mounting. With margins, 6 3/8 x 6 3/8, the sheet 8 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches.

A fine, black atmospheric impression, with the drypoint burr fresh and satiny.

This is an exceedingly rare impression. When Ginestet and Poullon did their recent catalogue raisonne of Villon’s prints they were unable to locate an impression, and so made a photo of the impression shown in the very early Auberty and Perussaux catalogue. This impression is before any burnishing of the plate (if indeed it was burnished), so the platemarks are quite prominent.  It was never editioned and exists in at most a few impressions.

In this relatively early period in Villon’s career as a printmaker, he made a number of color aquatints, and also began a series of very personal drypoints of his (and his sister Suzanne and his brother Marcel Duchamp’s) family as well as those of children (including the famed Minne series). This extraordinarily successful portrait appears to be within the latter tradition.