1896 Félix Vallotton (1865 - 1925) Original is a woodcut in black on wove paper, 25 cm x 33 cm and can be found in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. The late 19th century saw a revival of the woodcut in France. Swiss-French artist Félix Vallotton is considered the greatest innovator of this medium. With his woodcuts in masterful black-and-white, he experienced the peak of his career between 1896 and 1898. La Paresse ('Sloth') is one of Vallotton's most famous prints. In the woodblock, he arranged line, plane and contrast into a graceful and seductive image. The naked woman and the cat consist mainly of white surfaces. In contrast, the sofa on which the languid lady lies is composed of lush patterns. Together, they form a decorative whole. An important source of inspiration for Vallotton's woodcuts was Japanese prints. Here, too, the decorative value of the representation plays an important role. But while the Japanese used many different colours in one print, Vallotton worked exclusively in black and white. His French contemporaries also worked mainly in colour. This makes Vallotton's work unique of its kind.
