Frans MASEREEL (1889-1972) - Lot 226

Frans MASEREEL (1889-1972) The City, 1928 Wood engraving Signed "Frans Masereel", dated and numbered 20/30 lower right, titled lower left 24 x 18 cm This lot will be returned to the studio for collection on the day of the sale at Drouot in rooms 14 and 15, or after the sale at 22 rue des Belles Feuilles 75116 PARIS by prior appointment (please reserve a slot on our website). NOTICE Frans Masereel is one of the major Belgian artists of the XXᵉ century and one of the great renovators of modern woodcut. Trained at the Ghent Academy, from the 1910s he developed a powerful graphic language based on sharp contrasts and a pared-down narrative. During the First World War, while living in Switzerland, he produced his first series of images, foreshadowing his future wordless novels. From 1919, with the publication of Mon Livre d'heures, Masereel gained international recognition. He then continued his exploration of visual narrative through several now emblematic cycles, such as Idée, La Ville and La Passion d'un homme. His work, marked by an assertive humanism and a singular expressive force, quickly made a name for itself in European exhibitions devoted to modern printmaking. A committed artist, Masereel used xylography to denounce social injustice, war and oppression. His wordless novels expose the inequalities and suffering associated with the urban and industrial world. A pacifist with close ties to socialist circles, he sought to reach a wide audience and awaken consciences through hard-hitting, accessible images. In many of his most famous sets, he captures the intensity of urban life with remarkable acuity. His compositions, structured by strong contrasts and dynamic lines, capture the density of crowds, the bustle of streets and the continuous movement of the modern city. This vision, sometimes close to the vibrant energy of the Futurists, is combined with a mastery of black and white reminiscent of Vallotton's luminous synthesis, enabling him to create a profoundly original visual universe. Throughout his career, Masereel contributed to numerous magazines, illustrated literary texts and produced several engraved suites, making him one of the precursors of the graphic novel. Settling in France in the 1920s, he continued to exhibit, publish and teach until the end of his life. Even today, his work is celebrated for the vigor of his line and the historical importance of his visual narratives, which are among the most significant contributions to the art of xylography in the XXᵉ century.