Pierre Soulages
Eau-forte XL
1996
Etching on Vélin d’Arches
41 × 32.5 cm
Ed. /100
Location: Paris, France
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Invoice or proof of purchase
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About the artwork
This etching from 1996 exemplifies Pierre Soulages’s mastery of black as both matter and light. In Eau-forte XL, two vertical forms dominate the composition: the one on the left reveals a textured interplay of gold-tinged light and shadow, while the one on the right presents a dense and uninterrupted field of deep black. The contrast between these two planes activates the space between them and demonstrates Soulages’s ability to generate luminosity through the manipulation of surface and density. The work belongs to Soulages’s long engagement with printmaking, a practice that allowed him to explore the tactile qualities of ink, metal, and pressure. Printed at the renowned Atelier Moret in Paris, this etching reflects the technical precision and material sensitivity that define Soulages’s graphic works. As part of a limited edition of 100 signed impressions, the piece offers a rare and significant example of the artist’s exploration of verticality, rhythm, and the expressive potential of black. It stands as an elegant synthesis of Soulages’s visual language during the final decades of his career.
Expert opinion
Collectors value Soulages’s etchings for their direct connection to his exploration of material depth and light. This work from 1996 is particularly compelling because it captures the tension between texture and opacity that defines his late period. The interplay between the luminous left panel and the dense right panel creates a dynamic visual balance that mirrors the artist’s celebrated paintings in black. Given the edition size of 100, the signature, and the printing at Atelier Moret, this etching holds strong appeal for collectors who seek high quality examples from Soulages’s graphic output. Works with pronounced contrast and architectural composition tend to be especially sought after.
About the artist
Pierre Soulages (1919 - 2022) is a major figure on the French and international contemporary scene. A painter and printmaker, he uses the color black as the subject of his canvases. Devoting himself entirely to painting from 1946 onwards, Pierre Soulages distinguished himself from the semi-figurative and colorful painting of the post-war period with his dark, abstract canvases. While the early part of his career expressed gesture and duration through a few lines on his canvases, he progressed towards a more global approach, making black a predominant element that invades all his compositions. From 1979 onwards, light played a predominant role in his work, leading him to describe his use of black as "outrenoir" or "black-light". First exhibited in 1947 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris as part of the "Les surindépendants" exhibition, his work has been shown continuously in France and around the world. In 2014, a museum was dedicated to him in his hometown of Rodez. But it was in 2019 that his undisputed place in the art world raised him to the same level as Picasso and Chagall, becoming the third artist to exhibit at the Louvre Museum in his lifetime.
Additional info
Signed
3x
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