Twee vrouwen met waaiers - Lucien Pissarro

A refined wood engraving by Lucien Pissarro, originally created as a tailpiece for an Eragny Press publication in 1911.

This wood engraving by Lucien Pissarro serves as a decorative tailpiece for a publication from the Eragny Press. Founded in London by Lucien and his wife, Esther Pissarro, the press operated with a focus on the aesthetic quality of book production. This specific work appears in a volume printed in 1911, utilising the distinctive Brook Type designed by Lucien. The image depicts two figures holding fans, framed within a circular border that integrates natural motifs. The composition reflects the influence of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, a style that Pissarro studied closely during his career. The lines are precise, demonstrating the technical skill required for wood engraving, while the colour application remains restrained to maintain the balance between text and image. The Eragny Press was known for its limited editions, often printed on vellum or high-quality paper, which prioritised the physical experience of the book as an object of art. The inclusion of the word FIN within the fan indicates its function as a concluding element of the text. The surrounding layout, with its red-lined grid and typographic arrangement, provides context for the era of private press movement in Britain. Pissarro combined his background in Impressionist painting with a disciplined approach to graphic design, resulting in works that are both decorative and functional. This print captures the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and modern book design, characteristic of the early twentieth-century bibliophilic culture in Hammersmith.