Composition

Pierre Courtin

1956

A subtle abstract print in which Pierre Courtin combines etching, engraving, and a built-up plate to suggest a field of stacked blocks or masonry and to explore surface and texture.

You'd first notice a compact square of irregular rectangular forms outlined by crisp incised lines and filled with warm, rubbed brown tones, the scored, pitted surface reading like weathered stone or stitched fabric.

Dating from 1956, the work reflects postwar artists’ interest in materiality and process—Courtin’s built-up plate technique pushes printmaking toward a sculptural, tactile realm that blurs drawing, relief, and collage.

Palette

Art Terms

Abstraction Geometric abstraction Etching Engraving Intaglio Print Monochrome Modern art

Exhibitions

French Paintings from the Molyneux Collection

1952

The Mrs. Adele R. Levy Collection: A Memorial Exhibition

1961

Gaugin and his Circle in Brittany: The Prints of the Pont-Aven School

1987

Prints: Proofs and Variants

1989