Cover for Paris Intense 1894

Félix Edouard Vallotton, a Swiss and French printmaker and painter, created this woodcut cover for 'Paris Intense'. The late 19th-century art scene in Paris was marked by rapid social changes, stark class divisions, and rising urbanization, all of which profoundly influenced Vallotton. His prints often reflect his critical observations of contemporary society. In this cover, a diverse group of Parisians line the foreground, each seemingly lost in their own world. The figures' ambiguous relationships invite us to reflect on the complexity of human connections in an urban landscape. Vallotton once wrote, "I want to do intimate things, cruel things, passionate things." The intensity of modern life he captured often included the subtle cruelties and alienation of urban existence. Reflect on what it meant to be part of the 'intense' experience of city life, where traditional identities were challenged, and new social dynamics emerged. Vallotton’s woodcut invites us to consider how we navigate our own intense urban environments today.