Swiss Artist Felix Vallotton

 Swiss Artist Felix Vallotton

(1865-1925)

Felix Edouard Vallotton (1865-1925) was Swiss and naturalized as a French citizen when he was 35-years-old in 1900. He was a painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as Les Nabis.

He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut. Like many artists of his generation, he was influenced by the Japanese woodcuts which were then being noticed in Europe. His unique and innovative style, large areas of pure black and white, emphasizing outline and shapes, without using hatching for shading or modelling, led the way for others.

He painted portraits, landscapes, nudes, still lifes, and other subjects in a less than emotional, realistic style. Vallotton was also active as a writer. He published art criticism during the 1890s, and his novel La Vie meurtriere (The Murderous Life) was published posthumously. By the end of his life he had completed over 1,700 paintings and about 200 prints, in addition to hundreds of drawings and several sculptures.

1
Rocamadour Landscape /
Paysage de Rocamadour
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on canvas, 1925

2
The White and the Black /
La Blanche et la Noire
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on canvas, 58" x 45" (w x h), 1913
Fondation Hahnloser, Winterthour

3
La paresse / Lazy
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Woodcut on wove paper, 9" x 7" (w x h), 1896
#40 of an edition of (circa) 180
Sold at Sotheby's 2017 Zurich auction for $85,500 USD

4
Evening on the Loire / Soiree sur la Loire
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on canvas, 1923
Private Collection

5
The Purple Hat / Le chapeau violet
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on cardboard, 32" x 36" (w x h), 1907

6
Verdun
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on canvas, 57" x 45" (w x h), 1917

7
Le Rayon
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Oil on canvas, 39" x 29" (w x h), 1909
Private collection

8
Le Bibliophile / The Bibliophile
Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Swiss
Woodcut, 7" x 9" (w x h), 1911