DOI issue:
No. 322 (January 1920)
DOI article:Gibson, Frank: The lithographs of Henri Fantin Latour
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21359#0144
THE LITHOGRAPHS OF HENRI FANTIN LATOUR
“ BAIGNEUSES.” ORIGINAL LITHO-
GRAPH BY H. FANTIN LATOUR
Then after a visit to Bayreuth in 1876,
Wagnerian subjects become very numerous.
He scores many successes when his sub-
jects are taken from music of Berlioz,
whose compositions seem to inspire him
so much, but his average success with
Wagner is not so high, though no fewer
than thirty-five of his lithographs were
inspired by this master. In the opera of
“ Siegfried ” he found motives for some
of hL best Wagnerian lithographs, notably
the Evocation d’Erda, of which the first
version is the best. Inspired by the
u Gotterdammerung,” he produced five
lithographs, the two best being the large
and small plates of Siegfried et les Filles du
Rhin, which are magnificent conceptions.
Schumann was one of the first musical
composers to interest Fantin, and one of the
138
most impressive tributes to the composer
is the magnificent and unique lithograph
which he called Le dernier Theme de Robert
Schumann. Fantin was fond of mytho-
logical and allegorical subjects, and there
are many with the title of Baigneuses,
Chasseresses, La Gloire, Verite, etc. He
only did one lithograph representing danc-
ing, it was a subject he rarely essayed even
in painting. It is called Danseuses, and
is included among our illustrations (p. 134).
Occasionally he essayed a realistic subject
like Les Brodeuses, two girls bending
over their needlework, or the Bouquet de
Roses, the only flower-piece he ever made a
lithograph of, and a wonderful realization in
black and white of the transparency and
freshness of flowers. It is a print that is
much sought after by collectors. 0 0
“ BAIGNEUSES.” ORIGINAL LITHO-
GRAPH BY H. FANTIN LATOUR
Then after a visit to Bayreuth in 1876,
Wagnerian subjects become very numerous.
He scores many successes when his sub-
jects are taken from music of Berlioz,
whose compositions seem to inspire him
so much, but his average success with
Wagner is not so high, though no fewer
than thirty-five of his lithographs were
inspired by this master. In the opera of
“ Siegfried ” he found motives for some
of hL best Wagnerian lithographs, notably
the Evocation d’Erda, of which the first
version is the best. Inspired by the
u Gotterdammerung,” he produced five
lithographs, the two best being the large
and small plates of Siegfried et les Filles du
Rhin, which are magnificent conceptions.
Schumann was one of the first musical
composers to interest Fantin, and one of the
138
most impressive tributes to the composer
is the magnificent and unique lithograph
which he called Le dernier Theme de Robert
Schumann. Fantin was fond of mytho-
logical and allegorical subjects, and there
are many with the title of Baigneuses,
Chasseresses, La Gloire, Verite, etc. He
only did one lithograph representing danc-
ing, it was a subject he rarely essayed even
in painting. It is called Danseuses, and
is included among our illustrations (p. 134).
Occasionally he essayed a realistic subject
like Les Brodeuses, two girls bending
over their needlework, or the Bouquet de
Roses, the only flower-piece he ever made a
lithograph of, and a wonderful realization in
black and white of the transparency and
freshness of flowers. It is a print that is
much sought after by collectors. 0 0