Le Bonheur du Jour ou Les Graces à la Mode: Le Goût des Laques. 1920

Henri Reidel made ‘Le Bonheur du Jour ou Les Graces à la Mode: Le Goût des Laques’ using printmaking techniques. The colours are applied flatly like stencils, and the composition feels very considered, like a puzzle that’s been painstakingly put together. There's a real sense of the surface in this print. The opaque colours and clear outlines make the image pop out at you. I find the way the red ground contrasts with the black of the screen in the background especially striking. It’s as if the artist is playing with the idea of depth, flattening it out and then reintroducing it in subtle ways. Look at how the cranes are slightly faded, but still pop. This reminds me a little of Matisse, who was also interested in flattening space and using bold colours to create a sense of visual excitement. It’s all part of an ongoing conversation about how we see and experience the world around us, a conversation that’s been going on for centuries and will continue for many years to come.