Snowballs (Les Boules de Neige) - Paul Berthon

A refined Art Nouveau colour lithograph by Paul Berthon, featuring a serene female figure amidst snowball flowers.

Paul Berthon, a student of Eugène Grasset, produced this colour lithograph during the height of the Art Nouveau movement in Paris. The work displays the characteristic flat planes of colour and strong, sinuous outlines that defined the period. Berthon often focused on female figures integrated with botanical elements, a common motif in his graphic output for Imprimerie Chaix.

In this composition, a young woman with flowing auburn hair reaches towards a cluster of snowball flowers (Viburnum). The figure is rendered with a gentle, ethereal quality, her expression calm and contemplative. The background is simplified into soft, muted tones, which allows the foreground elements to occupy the primary visual space. The decorative treatment of the dress, featuring a subtle floral pattern, echoes the organic forms of the surrounding foliage. The overall effect is one of quiet harmony, typical of Berthon's approach to poster design and printmaking.

Berthon's technique relies on the careful layering of flat colours, a method influenced by the Japanese woodblock prints that were popular among European artists at the time. The text at the base, 'Les Boules de Neige', identifies the subject while maintaining the aesthetic balance of the print. This piece demonstrates the artist's ability to combine commercial graphic design with a refined, painterly sensibility. The print serves as an example of the transition from traditional illustration to the stylised, decorative graphic arts that flourished in France at the turn of the twentieth century. The muted palette of ochre, cream, and soft green creates a sense of warmth, ensuring the work remains visually accessible while retaining its historical character.