Nabis, 1888-1900: Bonnard, Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Vallotton...
Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1993. First edition. Hardcover. Folio. 512pp. Original photo-illustrated dust-jacket over green cloth with cream lettering on spine and front cover. This splendid catalogue was published on the occasion of the monumental exhibition of the same name which was held at Zurich and Paris in 1993. The word "nabi" means "prophet" in Hebrew. A group of young artists, a dozen in total - Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Vuillard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Paul-Elie Ranson... - chose to refer to themselves using this term in order to state their common willingness to renew painting. Under the leadership of Paul Sérusier, who had kept alive Gauguin's message in Pont-Aven in the shape of a painting entitled The Talisman, these young pupils formed a coherent group in Paris over a short period of time, from 1888 to 1900. The exhibition told the story of these short years of intense creativity for artists who, strongly influenced by Gauguin's synthetist and symbolist ideas, were also influenced by the fashion for japonism. In their intimistic painting they developed a synthetist style which aimed at simplifying the shapes and the flat coloured tints. Determined to return its decorative character to painting, they created many group commissioned by private individuals, such as the Natanson brothers, founders of the Revue Blanche with which they were closely associated. This volume features hundreds of b/w and color photographic reproductions of artwork. Minor shelf wear. Slight age-toning along paper margin. Text in French. Dust-jacket, binding and interior in overall very good condition. vg. Item #36508
Price: $95.00