Terms and conditions of use
The demonstration
(Le Manifestation)
1893
published in L'Estampe originale (The Original Print), album I, 1893
Medium
woodcut
Measurements
20.3 × 32.0 cm (block) 23.0 × 33.7 cm (sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1944
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
During the 1890s Paris was marked by cultural and political turmoil, including anarchist bombings and assassinations. Félix Vallotton’s woodcuts capture this atmosphere of unrest while reflecting his left-wing political views, especially his disdain for the excesses of bourgeois society. In The demonstration Vallotton portrays the chaos of a dispersing crowd. By contrasting the densely populated upper portion of the composition with an empty foreground, Vallotton amplifies the scene’s sense of urgency and instability. While the authorities are not directly shown, their looming presence is implied by the panicked reactions of the fleeing protestors.
Artwork Details
Catalogue/s Raisonné
Vallotton & Goerg 110.a; Stein & Karshan 87
Edition
ed. 8/100
Printing/Publishing
printed by André Marty
Inscription
inscribed in pencil l.r.: no. 8 F Vallotton
printed in ink (in image) l.r.: FV
printed in ink (in image) l.l.: LA MANIFESTATION
chopmark, l.r.: (L'Estampe Originale)
Accession Number
1366-4
Departments
International Prints / International Prints and Drawings
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest