Bazouge steekt pijp aan bij kaars naast doodskist Possibly 1892 - 1894

Editor: This is “Bazouge steekt pijp aan bij kaars naast doodskist,” or "Bazouge lights a pipe by candlelight next to a coffin," by Henri Gustave Jossot, probably created between 1892 and 1894. It's a striking linocut print. The sharp contrast and exaggerated features create a rather unsettling mood for me. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: Unsettling is spot on! It has that raw, in-your-face energy I find irresistible. For me, it’s all about Jossot’s savage honesty, laid bare through those stark lines and almost grotesque caricature. It's like he’s ripping back the polite curtain on society to expose some darker, sillier truth. What do you make of the interplay between the pipe, the candle, and that looming coffin shape? Feels symbolic, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely symbolic, and quite macabre. Perhaps the pipe is a metaphor for life, briefly lit and enjoyed, while the coffin… well, that's the inevitable ending. The candle feels like a flickering moment of awareness against a great darkness. Curator: Exactly! And there’s this wonderful gallows humor. Like the guy knows his fate, acknowledges it, but keeps puffing away anyway! The composition itself – the strong diagonals, the boldness of the shapes - that owes a lot to Art Nouveau, wouldn’t you agree? But it’s a twisted, punked-up version. He takes this very elegant Art Nouveau vocabulary and injects some poison! Tell me, how does the choice of a linocut medium affect the message, do you think? Editor: The linocut lends a roughness, a sense of immediacy that perhaps a more refined technique wouldn't capture. The stark contrast adds to the boldness, and perhaps even contributes to the satirical feel? Curator: I concur! Jossot grabbed his vision by the throat and wrestled it onto paper, flaws and all! And what’s even more brilliant, and subversive, in his graphic work and his social commentary, the darker and more grotesque it got, the funnier it also was. That, to me, makes this seemingly small print all the more unforgettable. Editor: It really gives me a lot to reflect on. The stark imagery definitely enhances its meaning. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure, it's always good to examine deeper meanings hidden in the darkest places.