Prints to stir up the imagination
The exhibition is divided into three parts: First there are human figures, then come the landscapes, and lastly there are myths. There is the oldest print from the 17th century of Agrippana by Claude Mellan where the engraving is very fine and there is a sharp contrast between this and the contemporary work next to it, 'Full length portrait' done by Agatha May in 1999.While Agrippina is all covered the modern work show the naked legs and thighs. In May's work there is the use of flashy colours whereas Agrippina has subdued black and white. The modern work uses classical lines and the structure recall the columns of Grecian and Roman buildings.
Next come some old photographs which are close to engravings and here we see pictures of 'The thorn puller' by Edouard Denis Baldus seen from different angles. There are then a modern landscape, 'Mountain lakes' by Louise Bourgeois, 1997. This presents waves of blue and red with three tiny houses included in the composition. 'Wings' by Markus Raetz presents copperplate engraving, as seen in Agrippina, but it brings in details of movements of water. 'Blind time 5' and 'Blind time-4' by Robert Morris is an interpretation of a painting 'Mont St. Victoire' by Cezanne. Cezanne's work is mainly based on colour, and Morris tried to depict the same subject but using black and white, the resulting gray catching the subtleties of Cezanne's colours.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. We then move on to the landscapes and come across 'Black rocks' by Bertrand Henry and 'The bush' by Charles Daubigny. There is the movement of the sky and the vegetation in the foreground along with the motion of the people and animals in the first one.
In the second is the modern interpretation of the movement of branches and leaves. Both of these are in black and white.
The work by Edouard Willmann is an old print given to Napoleon III and it is amazing to see the details of the view. One can see every tiny house in the horizon engraved . Also included are human figures and boats. The cathedral of Notre Dame has been brought in the centre of the picture with great skill. There are then view of the Louvre and Tuileries Palace by Arnuf Rainer. The artist used the old plates and then put in his own engraving as the second layer. Thus at the back one has old prints and in front the fire that destroyed Tuileries.
The mythologies took out old prints and presented them in a modern way as in the case of 'King Phallus in his sickbed receiving his physician' by Dominique Vivant-Denon . Raoul Dufy's work includes a siren and the sea . Boats and ancient columns bring in the antiquity. The myth of Ulysses is highlighted in the print by Pierre Buraglio.
The exhibition is indeed a wealth of old prints.