To offer you even more information about the museum and Vincent van Gogh, and serve you better, we use cookies. By clicking ‘Accept’, you are giving us permission to use these cookies. Cookies help us to ensure that the website works properly. We also analyse how the website is used, so that we can make any necessary improvements. Advertisements can also be displayed tailored to your interests. And finally, we use cookies to display forms, Google Maps and other embedded content.
Find out more about our cookies.

Discover the Parisian print world

décoration

Décoration was the highest achievement for fin-de-siècle printmakers. By working decoratively, they could demolish the barrier between the ‘high art’ of painting and the ‘low’ applied arts, unifying art and daily life.

The Nabi and Art Nouveau artists designed modern prints in a decorative style, often using these images to beautify their immediate surroundings.

View this artwork
View this artwork
  • Decoration in printmaking

    Translating their designs for the lithographic stone or wooden block helped modern printmakers to achieve ‘flat’ compositions of lines, planes, patterns and colours.

    For inspiration, these artists looked primarily to Japanese wood block prints, admiring their bold outlines, elongated silhouettes, large expanses of colour and unconventional viewpoints.

    Symbolist printmakers learned from these examples that it was not necessary to represent the world as a naturalistic illusion.

    By carefully arranging their prints into decorative compositions, they sought — like their Symbolist counterparts in music and poetry — not only to stimulate their viewers’ senses, but also to touch their souls.

  • View this artwork
  • Printmaking as decoration

    Artists introduced decoration into everyday life by producing autonomous fine-art prints and commercial graphic work, primarily for their own, closed cultural worlds of theatre, music and literature.

    On the other hand, their posters and magazine illustrations were intended for everyone.

    Brightly coloured advertisements adorned the grey streets of Paris, where these ‘frescoes for the crowd’ could indeed be admired by all.

  • View this artwork

Further Reading

Patricia Eckert Boyer, ‘L’Estampe originale and the Revival of Decorative Art and Craft in Late Nineteenth-Century France,’ in L'Estampe originale. Artistic Printmaking in France 1893-1895, Zwolle 1991, p. 26-49

Gloria Groom, Nicholas Watkins, Beyond the easel: Decorative Painting by Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis and Roussel 1890–1930, New Haven 2001

Katherine M. Kuenzli, The Nabis and Intimate Modernism: Painting and the Decorative at the Fin-de-Siècle, Ashgate 2010

477 prints in 'décoration'

  • p2550S2010
  • p2558S2011
  • p2487S2006
  • p2489aS2006
  • p2489cS2006
  • p2495aS2008
  • p2486S2007
  • p2489mS2006
  • p2494S2008
  • p2495bS2008
  • p2495cS2008
  • p2500S2008
  • p2501S2009
  • p2505S2009
  • p2511S2009
  • p2531S2010
  • p2462bV2006
  • p2489dS2006
  • p2468V2005
  • p2479S2006
  • p2495dS2008
  • p2462cV2006
  • p2462fV2006
  • p2462hV2006
  • p2462jV2006
  • p2462kV2006
  • p0238V1966
  • p0951S1997
  • p0270V1966
  • p0302V1982
  • p0303V1982
  • p0304V1982
  • p0305V1982
  • p0307V1982
  • p0770M1992
  • p0877N1996
  • p0909N1996
  • p0914N1996
  • p2435V2004
  • p2438V2004
  • p2440V2004
  • p2441V2004
  • p2450V2004
  • p2452V2004
  • p2455V2004
  • p2457V2004
  • p2460V2004
  • p2456V2004
  • p2461V2004
  • p2463V2004
  • p2464V2004
  • p2465V2004
  • p2466V2004
  • d1122V2004
  • p2437aV2004
  • p2447S2004
  • p2360S2003
  • p2361S2003
  • p1773V2000
  • p1774V2000
  • p1775V2000
  • p1785V2000
  • p1786V2000
  • p1788V2000
  • p1794V2000
  • p1787V2000
  • p1793V2000
  • p1789V2000
  • p1965S2001
  • p1966S2001
  • p1970S2001
  • p1977S2002
  • p1978S2002
  • p1979S2002
  • p1980S2002
  • p1981S2002
  • p1982S2002
  • p1627V2000
  • p1629V2000
  • p1637V2000
  • p1638V2000
  • p1642V2000
  • p1655V2000
  • p1656V2000
  • p1668V2000
  • p1669V2000
  • p1694V2000
  • p1696V2000
  • p1698V2000
  • p1699V2000
  • p1048V2000
  • p1498V2000
  • p1496V2000
  • p1495V2000
  • p1493V2000
  • p1484V2000
  • p1723V2000
  • p1701V2000
  • p1702V2000
  • p1777V2000
  • p1710V2000
  • p1711V2000
  • p1492V2000
  • p1494V2000
  • p1497V2000
  • p1499V2000
  • p1709V2000
  • p1704V2000
  • p1765V2000
  • p1766V2000
  • p1767V2000
  • p1768V2000
  • p1769V2000
  • p1770V2000
  • p1161V2000
  • p1162V2000
  • p1164V2000
  • p1165V2000
  • p1166V2000
  • p1167V2000
  • p1168V2000
  • p1169V2000
  • p1170V2000
  • p1172V2000
  • p1173V2000
  • p1174V2000
  • p1175V2000
  • p1176V2000
  • p1177V2000
  • p1178V2000
  • p1179V2000
  • p1180V2000
  • p1181V2000
  • p1182V2000
  • p1183V2000
  • p1184V2000
  • p1185V2000
  • p1186V2000
  • p1187V2000
  • p1189V2000
  • p1190V2000
  • p1191V2000
  • p1192V2000
  • p1193V2000
  • p1194V2000
  • p1195V2000
  • p1196V2000
  • p1197V2000
  • p1198V2000
  • p1199V2000
  • p1200V2000
  • p1201V2000
  • p1203V2000
  • p1204V2000
  • p1205V2000
  • p1207V2000
  • p1208V2000
  • p1210V2000
  • p1213V2000
  • p1214V2000
  • p1218V2000
  • p1222V2000
  • p1224V2000
  • p1225V2000
  • p1226V2000
  • p1229V2000
  • p1243V2000
  • p1247V2000
  • p1248V2000
  • p1254V2000
  • p1260V2000
  • p1270V2000
  • p1275V2000
  • p1285V2000
  • p1286V2000
  • p1287V2000
  • p1298V2000
  • p1299V2000
  • p1300V2000
  • p1303V2000
  • p1304V2000
  • p1305V2000
  • p1306V2000
  • p1324V2000
  • p1330V2000
  • p1331V2000
  • p1333V2000
  • p1334V2000
  • p1335V2000
  • p1345V2000
  • p1346V2000
  • p1370V2000
  • p1371V2000
  • p1372V2000
  • p1373V2000
  • p1385V2000
  • p1386V2000
  • p1390V2000
  • p1396V2000
  • p1398V2000
  • p1404V2000
  • p1406V2000
  • p1410V2000
  • p1411V2000
  • p1412V2000
  • p1421V2000
  • p1422V2000
  • p1423V2000
  • p1427V2000
  • p1433V2000
  • p1500V2000
  • p1501V2000
  • p1502V2000
  • p1503V2000
  • p1504V2000
  • p1505V2000
  • p1506V2000
  • p1507V2000
  • p1509V2000
  • p1510V2000
  • p1613V2000
  • p1323V2000
  • p1051V2000
  • p1202V2000
  • p1024V2000
  • p1188V2000
  • p1171V2000
  • p1108V2000
  • p1076V2000
  • p1099V2000
  • p0989V2000
  • p0990V2000
  • p0992V2000
  • p0993V2000
  • p0994V2000
  • p0995V2000
  • p0996V2000
  • p1000V2000
  • p1001V2000
  • p1002V2000
  • p1003V2000
  • p1009V2000
  • p1010V2000
  • p1011V2000
  • p1012V2000
  • p1013V2000
  • p1014V2000
  • p1015V2000
  • p1016V2000
  • p1018V2000
  • p1029V2000
  • p1032V2000
  • p1033V2000
  • p1035V2000
  • p1036V2000
  • p1039V2000
  • p1042V2000
  • p1044V2000
  • p1046V2000
  • p1050V2000
  • p1054V2000
  • p1058V2000
  • p1059V2000
  • p1067V2000
  • p1070V2000
  • p1073V2000
  • p1075V2000
  • p1082V2000
  • p1083V2000
  • p1084V2000
  • p1089V2000
  • p1093V2000
  • p1095V2000
  • p1097V2000
  • p1101V2000
  • p1109V2000
  • p1110V2000
  • p1111V2000
  • p1112V2000
  • p1113V2000
  • p1115V2000
  • p1116V2000
  • p1117V2000
  • p1118V2000
  • p1120V2000
  • p1125V2000
  • p1126V2000
  • p1128V2000
  • p1129V2000
  • p1139V2000
  • p2529S2010
  • p2538S2010
  • p2548S2010
  • p2453V2004r
  • p2453V2004v
  • p2454V2004r
  • p2454V2004v
  • p2459V2004r
  • p2560S2011
  • p2597S2011
  • p2590S2011
  • p2593-002S2011
  • p2593-019S2011
  • p2595S2011
  • p2603S2011
  • p2604S2011
  • p2605S2011
  • p2606S2011
  • p2607S2011
  • p2608S2011
  • d1065V2004v
  • p2617S2011
  • p2618S2011
  • p2634S2011
  • p2635S2011
  • p2638S2011
  • p2639S2011
  • p2647S2012
  • p2624S2011
  • p2623S2011v
  • d1171S2012
  • p2594-005S2011
  • p2660S2012
  • p2662S2012
  • p2672S2012
  • d1174S2012
  • p1985-001S2002
  • p2697S2012
  • p2698S2012
  • p2699S2012
  • p2700S2012
  • p2701S2012
  • p2702S2012
  • p2714S2013
  • p2708-002S2013
  • p2708-004S2013
  • p2708-006S2013
  • p2708-008S2013
  • p2708-009S2013
  • p2708-010S2013
  • p2708-011S2013
  • p2715S2013
  • p2721S2013
  • p2722S2013
  • p2723S2013
  • p2727S2013
  • p2728S2013
  • p2736S2013
  • p2737S2013
  • p2738S2013
  • p2739S2013
  • p2740S2013
  • p2741S2013
  • p2742S2013
  • p2746S2014
  • p2747-002S2014
  • p2747-003S2014
  • p2747-004S2014
  • p2747-005S2014
  • p2747-006S2014
  • p2747-007S2014
  • p2747-008S2014
  • p2747-009S2014
  • p2747-010S2014
  • p2747-011S2014
  • p2747-012S2014
  • p2758S2014
  • p2760S2015
  • p2764S2015
  • p2766-003S2015
  • p2766-004S2015
  • p2768-005S2015
  • p2776S2015
  • p2777V2015
  • p2778S2015
  • p2779V2015
  • p2780S2016
  • p2784S2016
  • p2768-006S2015
  • p2786S2016
  • p2787S2016
  • p2788S2016
  • p2789S2016
  • p2796S2016
  • p2807S2017
  • p2808S2017
  • p2809S2017
  • p2810S2017
  • p2811S2017
  • p2812S2017
  • p2813S2017
  • p2814S2017
  • p2815S2017
  • p2816S2017
  • p2817S2017
  • p2818S2017
  • p2819S2017
  • p2780-001S2016
  • p2780-002S2016
  • p2780-003S2016
  • p2780-004S2016
  • p2780-005S2016
  • p2780-006S2016
  • p2780-007S2016
  • p2780-008S2016
  • p2780-009S2016
  • p2780-010S2016
  • p2780-011S2016
  • p2780-012S2016
  • p2780-013S2016
  • p2780-014S2016
  • p2780-015S2016
  • p2780-016S2016
  • p2780-017S2016
  • p2780-018S2016
  • p2780-019S2016
  • p2780-020S2016
  • p2780-021S2016
  • p2780-022S2016
  • p2780-023S2016
  • p2780-024S2016
  • p2780-025S2016
  • p2780-026S2016
  • p2780-027S2016
  • p2780-028S2016
  • p2780-029S2016
  • p2780-030S2016
  • p2780-031S2016
  • p2780-032S2016
  • p2780-033S2016
  • p2780-034S2016
  • p2780-035S2016
  • p2780-036S2016
  • p2780-037S2016
  • p2780-038S2016
  • p2780-039S2016
  • p2780-040S2016
  • p2780-041S2016
  • p2780-042S2016
  • p2780-043S2016
  • p2780-044S2016
  • p2780-045S2016
  • p2780-046S2016
  • p2780-047S2016
  • p2780-048S2016
  • p2780-049S2016
  • p2780-050S2016
  • p2780-051S2016
  • p2780-052S2016
  • p2780-053S2016
  • p2780-054S2016
  • p2780-055S2016
  • p2780-056S2016
  • p2780-057S2016
  • p2821S2017
  • p2824S2018
  • p2825S2018
  • p2826S2018
  • p2970S2019
  • p2971S2019
  • p2972S2019
  • p2973S2019
  • p2990S2019
  • p2991S2019
  • p2995S2019
  • p2996S2019
  • p3056S2021
  • p3057S2021
  • p3058S2021
  • p3062S2022

Search the French print collection

Discover more

Continue your journey into the Parisian print world of the fin de siècle. Discover more printmakers, stories and themes. The connections are endless.

Explore