Groep jonge meisjes 1893

Félix Edouard Vallotton created this woodcut, titled 'Groep jonge meisjes', using stark black ink on paper. The composition is immediately striking. A procession of girls, rendered in contrasting patterns and solid blacks, moves across a shallow space. Vallotton masterfully uses the woodcut medium to flatten the figures, reducing them to graphic shapes. Observe how the repetition of forms—the curves of their heads, the angles of their limbs—creates a rhythmic effect, almost like a musical score. The flattening and simplification destabilize traditional modes of representation. Rather than focusing on individual likeness, Vallotton emphasizes the collective identity of the group, turning them into a study of social types. The high contrast reinforces this effect, highlighting the artificiality inherent in representation itself. We are made aware that this is not a window onto reality, but a constructed image. The very graphic quality of the print, its reliance on pure form, serves as a commentary on the constructed nature of appearances. The artwork invites us to consider how we categorize and perceive the world around us.