Petit air, sonnet

1894

Maurice Denis

Associated Names
Maurice Denis
Artist, French, 1870 - 1943
Stéphane Mallarmé
Author, French, 1842 - 1898
This is a drawing of an abstract scene with a handwritten poem. The drawing includes a fluid figure entwined with abstracted vertical elements. The artwork uses soft shadows and flowing lines. Accompanying the image is text in French, written in a flowing script. The composition blends the written and visual art.
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Artwork overview

Associated Artworks

See all 23 artworks
The image shows a close-up of a face, focusing primarily on the upper portion with the body not visible. The face is positioned facing towards the viewer. The facial features are indistinct, with no detailed characteristics visible, and the skin appears to have a soft, blurred texture. The hair is also vague, blending into the background with a fluid, indistinct texture. The clothing is not depicted, and there are no visible objects or jewelry present. The background consists of a uniform, warm sepia tone that blends seamlessly with the face, giving the entire image a soft and ethereal quality.

Étude de femme (Study of a Woman)

Eugène Carrière
1894
This is a photograph of a vintage book or magazine cover. The image displays the cover of an old, light brown publication with a minimalist design. The title "L'ÉPREUVE Album d'Art" is centrally aligned at the top, printed in a classic serif font. The paper shows signs of age with slight discoloration and some texture from wear. The lower-left corner of the cover is marked with the number "12," and the bottom right has another small marking, "XII."

L'Épreuve (album 1, deluxe edition)

Eugène Carrière, Jean Danguy, Maurice Denis, Emile Coulon, Simon Albert Bussy, Paul Edouard Crébassa, Henri-Gustave Jossot, Louis Auguste Mathieu Legrand, Maurice Dumont, Auguste-Hilaire Léveillé
1894
The image features a soft and somewhat abstract depiction of a human face against a dark background. The focus is on the facial region, as the rest of the body is not visible. The face is straight towards the viewer, and the facial features are subtly rendered. The eyes appear as slightly darker areas, and there is a gentle suggestion of a nose and mouth, but these features are not distinctly defined. The hair blends into the background. The background is a foggy, undistinguished expanse of dark tones, which emphasizes the face as the central element. No discernible clothing, jewelry, or objects are apparent, maintaining the focus solely on the visage within the shadows.

Étude de femme (Study of a Woman)

Eugène Carrière
1894

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Virginia and Ira Jackson, Houston; gift to NGA, 1996.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1968

  • Cailler, Pierre. Catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre grave et lithographie de Maurice Denis. Geneva: Editions Pierre Cailler, 1968.

Inscriptions

lower right in stone: M / A / U / D; stamped upper right verso in black: 12; upper left to center left in stone in black cursive script: Petit air / Quelconque une solitude / Sans le cygne ...

Wikidata ID

Q75408091

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