L'Eclat (recto), L'Exécution (verso)
This work represents two major strands of Vallotton’s subject matter in printmaking juxtaposed on one sheet: violence and politics in public space and the tensions of the private bourgeois interior. "L’Exécution" may represent the execution of an Italian anarchist who assassinated the French president and was sentenced to the guillotine in August 1894. It relates to other prints Vallotton made around the same time devoted to death and confrontations with authority and anticipates a later lithographic series called "Crimes and Punishments." It thematizes the act of witnessing with the row of mustachioed guards on horseback creating a repetitive pattern across the background and the group of three civilian spectators at right. Vallotton initially conceived "L’Eclat" as part of his "Intimités" (Intimacies) series (1897‒98). Although not ultimately included and instead circulated as an independent print, it displays the hallmark domestic tensions dramatized in the series, shown here in a confrontation over a letter.
Artwork Details
- Title: L'Eclat (recto), L'Exécution (verso)
- Artist: Félix Vallotton (Swiss, Lausanne 1865–1925 Paris)
- Date: 1894–97
- Medium: Two woodcuts printed on one sheet, folded
- Dimensions: Sheet: 19 5/8 × 12 13/16 in. (49.9 × 32.5 cm)
Block (L'Eclat): 7 1/16 × 8 7/8 in. (18 × 22.5 cm)
Block (L'Exécution): 5 7/8 × 9 13/16 in. (15 × 25 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection and funds from various donors, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.160
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Félix Vallotton
1893
Félix Vallotton
1892
Félix Vallotton
1902
Félix Vallotton
1895
Félix Vallotton
1894
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.