La Parisienne (4) 1902

Jacques Villon made this color etching, La Parisienne, sometime around 1900, give or take. The mark making is like watercolor painting, transparent and layered. You can see the white of the paper showing through. The surface has a delicate quality because of the many colors that have been overlaid. There's this juicy pink chair that really pops! It’s set against a whole ensemble of floral patterns and a light interior space. I love how the pink of the chair contrasts with the yellows and greens in the wallpaper. And notice the dry scumbled texture of the chair itself. It’s really just a flurry of marks! You can tell he used some kind of soft, dry brush to create that effect. Villon was a printmaker, but you can see the influence of painters like Bonnard and Vuillard. They all understood that art is just one big, ongoing conversation. Ultimately, it’s about how we see and experience the world.