Capucine 2 1896

Maurice Pillard Verneuil rendered ‘Capucine 2’ using stencils and pochoir, a labor-intensive printing technique popular in the Art Nouveau era. The image is built from layers of flat, vibrant colors, carefully applied through stencils. Notice how Verneuil uses outlines to define the nasturtium flowers and leaves, then fills them in with subtle gradations. This gives the image a sense of depth and complexity, despite its essentially graphic nature. Pochoir allowed for the mass production of high-quality prints, making them accessible to a wider audience. This appealed to designers like Verneuil, who sought to elevate everyday life through beautiful, well-crafted objects. The intense handwork involved in the pochoir process also gives the print a unique quality, setting it apart from machine-made reproductions. It represents a fascinating intersection of craft and industry. Thinking about materials, making, and context allows us to appreciate the skill and artistry involved in this seemingly simple design. It also challenges the divide between fine art and craft.