Le Hibou
Print
1962 (made)
1962 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This image is by Jean Picart-le-Doux (1902-1982), who was well known as an illustrator of editions de luxe and artist books as well as a tapestry designer of the Aubusson revival. Apollinaire (1880-1918) was a highly original poet whose visual imagery with surrealist juxtapositions inspired many artists to illustrate his work, the most popular being Alcools, first published with a frontispiece by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in 1913. A number of artists illustrated his Bestiaire. It is a collection of short poems, each representing the qualities of a particular animal. When first published, in 1911, it was illustrated with woodcuts by Raoul Dufy (1877-1953).
Poet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994) was fascinated by the art of the book. His interest was inspired by a visit to an exhibition of artists’ books at the National Gallery in London in May 1945. In due course he wrote many articles on the subject, as well as a major reference work, The Artist and the Book in France (published 1969); he also encouraged successive Keepers of the National Art Library at the V&A “to buy them for England.” To this end he visited France every year, to meet the artists, and acquired proof pages to illustrate his articles and to show to potential purchasers of the books, including the V&A. Over the years he amassed a collection of images of owls; some of these were illustrations from livres d’artistes, and others were designed especially for him as gifts or greetings. The collection of owls began with a visit to the artist Roger Chastel (1897-1981) in 1952, where he witnessed the printing of Le Bestiaire de Paul Eluard. In a subsequent article (“Genesis and Growth of a Collection”, for Connoisseur, 1972) he explained: “My article on Chastel’s Bestiaire had the happy result of bringing me a special print on Auvergne paper of the owl which I had admired in the book. Contacts in the art-world of Paris are close and friendly, and I was marked down as an owl-man, in consequence of which I have gradually been given dedicated owl prints and originals in every medium from pen and ink to enamel…” Strachan owned artist books by Picart-le-Doux, including the version of Apollinaire's Bestiaire of which this image is a proof.
Poet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994) was fascinated by the art of the book. His interest was inspired by a visit to an exhibition of artists’ books at the National Gallery in London in May 1945. In due course he wrote many articles on the subject, as well as a major reference work, The Artist and the Book in France (published 1969); he also encouraged successive Keepers of the National Art Library at the V&A “to buy them for England.” To this end he visited France every year, to meet the artists, and acquired proof pages to illustrate his articles and to show to potential purchasers of the books, including the V&A. Over the years he amassed a collection of images of owls; some of these were illustrations from livres d’artistes, and others were designed especially for him as gifts or greetings. The collection of owls began with a visit to the artist Roger Chastel (1897-1981) in 1952, where he witnessed the printing of Le Bestiaire de Paul Eluard. In a subsequent article (“Genesis and Growth of a Collection”, for Connoisseur, 1972) he explained: “My article on Chastel’s Bestiaire had the happy result of bringing me a special print on Auvergne paper of the owl which I had admired in the book. Contacts in the art-world of Paris are close and friendly, and I was marked down as an owl-man, in consequence of which I have gradually been given dedicated owl prints and originals in every medium from pen and ink to enamel…” Strachan owned artist books by Picart-le-Doux, including the version of Apollinaire's Bestiaire of which this image is a proof.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Le Hibou (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour lithograph on paper |
| Brief description | Colour lithograph, page from an illustrated book, Le Hibou, by Jean Picart-le-Doux, 1962. |
| Physical description | Colour lithograph double page spread showing an owl in moonlight. On the front is an owl printed in pale orange outline and the lithographed title 'Le Hibou' in Peignot type. On the inside left page is an owl, in black, brown and tan outline, sitting on a branch against a black starry sky. The stars are made from white and orange spots. The branch extends across the bottom onto the opposite page. On the opposite page is a crescent moon against a starry sky, which, along with the branch frames four lines of verse, lithographed in Peignot type alternately in brown and black. This page is for the artist's book Le Bestiaire ou le Cortège d'Orphée by Guillaume Apollinaire, published by Editions d'Auteuil, Paris, 1965. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Walter Strachan |
| Object history | This forms part of a collection of prints, drawings and paintings of owls bequeathed to the V&A by Walter Strachan (1903-1994). Strachan, a scholar and collector of Livres d'Artistes, became friendly with a large number of artists, who, on hearing that he had a fondness for owls, began sending him images to add to his collection. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Retail |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This image is by Jean Picart-le-Doux (1902-1982), who was well known as an illustrator of editions de luxe and artist books as well as a tapestry designer of the Aubusson revival. Apollinaire (1880-1918) was a highly original poet whose visual imagery with surrealist juxtapositions inspired many artists to illustrate his work, the most popular being Alcools, first published with a frontispiece by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in 1913. A number of artists illustrated his Bestiaire. It is a collection of short poems, each representing the qualities of a particular animal. When first published, in 1911, it was illustrated with woodcuts by Raoul Dufy (1877-1953). Poet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994) was fascinated by the art of the book. His interest was inspired by a visit to an exhibition of artists’ books at the National Gallery in London in May 1945. In due course he wrote many articles on the subject, as well as a major reference work, The Artist and the Book in France (published 1969); he also encouraged successive Keepers of the National Art Library at the V&A “to buy them for England.” To this end he visited France every year, to meet the artists, and acquired proof pages to illustrate his articles and to show to potential purchasers of the books, including the V&A. Over the years he amassed a collection of images of owls; some of these were illustrations from livres d’artistes, and others were designed especially for him as gifts or greetings. The collection of owls began with a visit to the artist Roger Chastel (1897-1981) in 1952, where he witnessed the printing of Le Bestiaire de Paul Eluard. In a subsequent article (“Genesis and Growth of a Collection”, for Connoisseur, 1972) he explained: “My article on Chastel’s Bestiaire had the happy result of bringing me a special print on Auvergne paper of the owl which I had admired in the book. Contacts in the art-world of Paris are close and friendly, and I was marked down as an owl-man, in consequence of which I have gradually been given dedicated owl prints and originals in every medium from pen and ink to enamel…” Strachan owned artist books by Picart-le-Doux, including the version of Apollinaire's Bestiaire of which this image is a proof. |
| Bibliographic reference | Apollinaire, Guillaume. Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée. Paris : Kieffer, 1962. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.252-1994 |
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| Record created | September 29, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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