The Cogent Reason, plate four from Intimacies 1898

Félix Vallotton made this woodcut print, titled "The Cogent Reason," as part of his "Intimacies" series. Vallotton was a Swiss and French printmaker associated with the Post-Impressionist movement in France. His prints often explored themes of domestic life, relationships, and social dynamics within bourgeois society. Here, the stark contrast of black and white adds to the scene's tension. The woman's embrace of the man could suggest a power dynamic, with the books and interior objects implying a bourgeois setting. Vallotton's association with the literary magazine, "La Revue Blanche," meant he was mixing in avant-garde circles. His association with the Nabis group, who were interested in Japanese woodblock printing, certainly influenced his aesthetic. To understand Vallotton better, we might look to the literature, political writing, and art criticism of the time. Ultimately, Vallotton's work reminds us that artistic meaning is never fixed. It's shaped by the society in which the artist lived and worked.