Nasturtiums
Charles Louis M. Houdard French
Not on view
Houdard was among the pioneering practitioners of color printmaking during its revival at the turn of the twentieth century, specializing in fine-grained color aquatint. This work was printed from three plates and the three registration marks (used to align the plates) are visible as dots along the left edge. With its sinuous lines, distinctive round leaves, and bonnet-like flowers, the nasturtium plant was a popular motif adopted by art nouveau designers in the 1890s. Houdard maintains a naturalist interest in his subject, evident in the variation of color among the four known impressions of this print that corresponds to the variety found in nasturtium blooms, ranging from a deep burgundy, to orange-red, to peach and salmon pinks.
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