Sleep (Jean-René Carrière) - Auguste Clot

A hauntingly atmospheric lithograph by Auguste Clot, capturing a quiet moment of repose with soft, dreamlike tonal gradations.

This lithograph, titled Sleep, depicts Jean-René Carrière in a state of repose. It was produced by the master printer Auguste Clot for the first Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard, published in 1897. The work captures the aesthetic sensibilities of the Symbolist movement, which favoured atmospheric, dreamlike qualities over rigid realism. The image is defined by a monochromatic palette and a soft, blurred focus. The figure emerges from a deep, dark background, with light catching the contours of the hair and the resting hands. This technique creates a sense of ethereal presence, where the subject appears to dissolve into the surrounding shadow. The composition relies on the interplay between light and dark, a hallmark of the period's interest in psychological states and the subconscious. Auguste Clot was a significant figure in the revival of colour lithography in late nineteenth-century France. He collaborated with many prominent artists of the era, translating their painterly visions into the medium of the print. In this specific work, the texture of the lithographic stone allows for subtle gradations of tone, which mimic the hazy, atmospheric quality often found in the paintings of Eugène Carrière, the father of the subject. The print avoids sharp lines, opting instead for gentle transitions that suggest the quietude of sleep. It is a study in stillness, focusing on the intimate moment of rest rather than the specific identity of the sitter. The lack of environmental detail ensures that the viewer remains focused on the form of the figure, which is rendered with a delicate, almost ghostly quality. This piece remains a fine example of the collaborative efforts between artists and master printers during the height of the Parisian printmaking scene.