Jacques Villion (French, 1875-1963) Signed Colored Etching Modern Portrait

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Jacques Villion (French, 1875-1963) Signed Colored Etching Modern Portrait

Jacques Villon was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator. Villon's brothers, … Read more Jacques Villion (French, 1875-1963) Signed Colored Etching Modern Portrait

Jacques Villon was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator. Villon's brothers, Raymond Duchamp-Villon and Marcel Duchamp, were also important artists of the 20th century. Born Gaston Duchamp, Villon learned engraving at the age of 16 from his grandfather, Emile-Frédéric Nicolle (1830-94), an amateur artist and ship broker. In January 1894, having completed his studies at the Lycée Corneille in Rouen, he was sent to study law at the University of Paris, but within a year he was spending most of his time on art and contributing lithographs to Parisian illustrated newspapers. It was during this time that he chose his pseudonym: Jack (subsequently Jacques) after Alphonse Daudet’s novel Jack (1876) and Villon for 15th-century French poet François Villon. Villon’s work as a humorous illustrator dominated the first ten years of his career, then starting around 1899, he began to make serious prints, exhibiting for the first time in 1901 at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. By 1903, he had developed a reputation in Paris and became an organizer of the first Salon d’Automne. Around 1904, Villon began to study painting at the Académie Julian. Villon is known for his printmaking style which was influenced by Toulouse-Lautrec. Ultimately, he committed himself to painting. As he developed, he created a unique style featuring flat, geometric Cubist forms. Villon was among the French artists who experimented with pure abstraction in the 1920s, and produced works based on color theory. Later, he turned to painting portraits and landscapes, and continued to produce illustrations and original prints for publications. The item featured here is a great vintage example of Villon's work.

Dimensions: 31 inches tall x 25 inches wide.

Condition: Frame with several abrasions and nicks. See less