Le Pacifique Mysterieux. Mers Du Sud 1951

Paul Jacoulet’s ‘Le Pacifique Mysterieux. Mers Du Sud’ presents a mermaid perched on a rock, gazing out at the ocean. The cool blues of the water meet the stark black of the craggy rock formation. It’s got me thinking about printmaking—the way you have to layer those colors one by one. It’s kind of magical, right? I can only imagine what Jacoulet was thinking, depicting this creature—maybe a longing for something beyond the known, a dive into the mysterious depths of the South Seas. Her forlorn expression tells of isolation. Notice how the body is rendered with such smooth precision, juxtaposed against the mermaid's tail, teeming with its reptile markings. These choices aren’t accidental; the way Jacoulet contrasts textures and colors is his way of speaking. I think it's so inspiring when an artist isn't afraid to mix things up, to let their curiosity guide them. Like a painter, a printmaker is in constant conversation with the work of other artists.