J. K. Huysmans
Georges Rouault
French, 1871–1958
1926
Georges Rouault's 1926 lithograph presents the writer J. K. Huysmans in profile, aiming to translate his austere, introspective character into raw, dark tonal masses.
What first strikes you is the brutal contrast—the forehead almost glowing against a dense, grainy black that models the nose, mouth, and beard with the weight and simplicity of a carved mask.
The print shows how Rouault used lithography to fuse symbolist melancholy and expressionist form, demonstrating how modern prints could probe psychological depth with spare, sculptural means.
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
composition: 9 1/8 x 6 3/4" (23.2 x 17.2cm); sheet: 12 7/8 x 9 13/16" (32.7 x 24.9cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Edith Gregor Halpert
Accession
49.1953
Palette
Exhibitions
