Cytises et Digitales 1898

Maurice Pillard Verneuil rendered Cytises et Digitales as a color lithograph, a process that democratized image-making at the turn of the twentieth century. With lithography, an image is drawn onto a stone or metal plate, treated to hold ink in the drawing areas, and then printed. The flat, graphic quality and the smooth gradations of color we see here are characteristic of the medium. Consider, too, the social context: lithography enabled the mass production of images, making art accessible to a wider audience. Verneuil's choice of subject matter is telling as well. The foxgloves and laburnum evoke the beauty of the natural world, yet they are presented in a stylized manner, reflecting the influence of Art Nouveau. Note how the woman is integrated into the landscape, her dress echoing the floral motifs around her. In this way, Verneuil blurs the boundaries between art, design, and the natural world, reminding us of the interconnectedness of all things.