Simple Shapes

"On the Beach"
Oil on cardboard, 42 x 48 cm
Felix Vallotton, 1899

This week I was thumbing through my catalogue from a retrospective of the works of Felix Vallotton. Vallotton (1865-1925) painted in France, and was a member of the "Nabis". I have written before about the Nabis and their approach to painting. There is something very powerful in the  simplicity of the Nabis' work. I find their use of simple, graphic patterns very appealing. I guess that's no surprise, since I am a fan of simplification in painting.

"Box Seats at the Theater, the Gentleman and the Lady"
Oil on canvas, 46 x 38 cm
Felix Vallotton, 1909

I don't know how Vallotton managed to say so much with so little. The painting directly above was the cover photo from the retrospective. A gloved hand, a face barely visible under a hat--a few simple lines tell it all. I can certainly see why the curators of the retrospective gave it the title "Felix Vallotton: The Fire Under the Ice"--the surface simplicity of these paintings belies their great impact.

Fellow painter Nancy Franke has written about her desire to simplify. She even wonders what "simplicity" means--whether it is brevity of brushstrokes, or use of a single idea, or even a simple background. I would say that Vallotton's paintings exemplify all of the above. 

Even more compelling in their simplicity are Vallotton's woodblock prints. Amazing! Here are a few of my favorites:

"L'Argent"
Felix Vallotton

"Le Violin"
Felix Vallotton, 1896

"L'Irreparable"
Felix Vallotton, 1898

These prints are irrepressibly modern in sensibility. And quite brave---look at those huge areas of uninterrupted black or white! In fact, the use of large areas of pure black and pure white are a signature of Vallotton's style, as are his bold cropping choices. (Before Vallotton, most printmakers used cross-hatching to vary the shading of their subjects from light to dark). 

There is definitely something to be learned from Vallotton about the benefit of using simple shapes. He also proves the power of a good arrangement of lights and darks. I think I'll be referring back to this catalogue often, to help me focus on simplification. Less is more!