6 - DUBUFFET, Jean (1901–1985)

DUBUFFET, Jean (1901–1985) Bird Eaters, Plate XX from the series “Matière et Mémoire.” 28 × 1944. Lithograph signed and dated in the stone, signed and inscribed “To Roger Vieillard, Jean Dubuffet, Nov. 2, 1944” in the lower right corner (Webel 32). 34 x 24 cm. Sheet size: 37.5 x 28 cm. Provenance: Martine Grospiron Collection, then by inheritance Roger Vieillard (1907–1989) The printmaker Roger Vieillard was born in Le Mans in 1907, where his father was stationed. As a young man, he developed a passion for tennis; he pursued classical studies in Paris (humanities and law), attending classes at the Sorbonne. In 1930, he completed his military service in the meteorological corps and was stationed in Morocco, where he began drawing (one of his great-grandfathers, the painter Albert Maginel, had been a student and later a friend of Ingres). He went on to become a banker, while continuing to play his favorite sport at a high level. In the early 1930s, Roger Vieillard met the painter Jean Bazaine and the English engraver Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17, a veritable experimental laboratory for printmaking. There he discovered the engraving burin, which would become his preferred technique. Beginning in 1935, he frequented the studio assiduously for two years, during which time the young artist honed his skills under Hayter and his friend Joseph Hecht. In 1939, Roger Vieillard set up his first printing press. That same year, he married the American painter Anita de Caro, originally from New York, who had arrived in France in 1936 and whom he had met at Atelier 17. They became a iconic couple in the Paris art scene from the 1940s to the 1970s. Roger Vieillard was noticed by gallery owner Jeanne Bucher, who organized his first solo exhibition in 1942. His work as an engraver evolved through his artistic exploration and innovations. During the war, Roger Vieillard maintained a regular correspondence with Hayter, who was in New York, and the two artists collaborated. The years 1947 through 1958 were marked by numerous exhibitions (Rotterdam, Paris, the Venice Biennale in 1948 and 1950, the São Paulo Biennial in 1953–1954, etc.). His engravings at that time were inspired by the industrial world and by his work at the bank. The couple traveled extensively and socialized with, among others, Jenny Bradley, Dora Maar, the Chagalls, and the Maeghts. Beginning in 1960, Roger Vieillard perfected a technique that combined stucco casts with his inked metal plates. Through this process, he brought printmaking closer to sculpture, producing bas-reliefs. The edition of plaster prints, which the artist called “Engraved Relief,” was extremely limited (rarely more than two prints). In 1967, Roger Vieillard organized an exhibition of works by his friend Jacques Villon in Lisbon. The engraver retired in the late 1960s and was now able to devote himself entirely to his art. A tireless explorer, he continued to experiment with new techniques. Roger Vieillard’s body of work, comprising 662 prints, is highly personal. His book illustrations—about thirty in number—account for half of his engravings. The artist employs precise, skillful lines and possesses a unique style. He is considered one of the greatest French engravers. The art of engraving is demanding; few artists pursue it. Alongside those of Henri-Georges Adam, Pierre Courtin, Albert Flocon, Ferdinand Springer, and Raoul Ubac, his work is considered among the most significant in 20th-century engraving. Roger Vieillard had just been elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, in the engraving section, when he died in 1989.