Lithographie 1974 

Jean-Paul Riopelle made this lithograph in 1974, using limestone or metal plates and greasy materials to create an image on paper. Lithography's appeal lies in its capacity to render an artist's touch intimately. Here, the texture varies from smooth tonal washes to vigorous hatched lines, each mark a testament to the artist's hand. Riopelle's approach to lithography can be seen as challenging the traditional boundaries between painting and printmaking. The immediacy and gestural quality seen here aligns it more closely with painting. This work also shares an affinity with the abstract expressionist movement, known for prioritizing action and process. Riopelle's mark-making embodies a raw energy, a physicality that rejects the notion of the artist as a detached creator. The print becomes a record of the artist's physical engagement, underscoring the importance of the hand and material expression, asking us to consider the labor and the skill involved in printmaking.