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'The assemblages of 1961-2 not only demonstrate the success of Dubuffet's novel lithographic technique, but also constitute a rogue's gallery of unforgettable personalities. The wry purveyors of essential human character communicate their diversity through succinct turns of the mouth or tilts of the nose. [His] creatures...convey the universality of man's frailties, foibles and humour' (A. Isselbacher, 'Jean Dubuffet, A Hunter of Images', in Dubuffet Prints from MOMA, New York, 1989). Despite the passage of almost half a century, the series known as Les Phénomènes remains one of the most prodigious undertakings in the history of modern graphic art. Strange in fabrication, in subject matter, and in the degree to which they monopolised his attention over four years, they are the high-point of Jean Dubuffet's longstanding romance with lithography. The project began at the lithographic workshop of Fernand Mourlot in Paris during the final weeks of 1957. The plan had two stages: the first was to create a mammoth inventory of printed raw material, which would serve as the basis for the second stage, which was the cutting up and re-assembling of these lithographs, in countless variations, to create new compositions. The first stage employed unusual methods to imprint the lithographic plates with a myriad of textures, including impressions taken from a friend's back, rocks, orange peel and straw. Unsurprisingly these produced a diverse range of aesthetic effects, as did the employment of unconventional chemical reactions, such as the dragging of a burning rag across the resin-coated printing plate. The prosaic and accidental nature of this method was of crucial importance. At the most basic level Les Phénomènes can be seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between accidental physical occurrences and art. By concentrating the whole of his artistic energy on an exhaustive investigation of the lithographic process he became, in the words of one observer, 'a cataloguer of spontaneous phenomena'. However, despite their ambiguity, Les Phénomènes are by no means abstract compositions. They form an encyclopaedic catalogue of fragments taken from the natural world, a world shared by artist, viewer and materials alike. In April 1961 Dubuffet brought the project to fruition: the creation of new lithographs through the assemblage of existing ones. The first of twenty such assemblages executed between 1961 and 1964, Personnage au costume rouge (lot 212), is composed of progressive printings of four cutup Phénomènes lithographs in combination with three new plates specifically designed to describe the figures details. It is a sensitively balanced juxtaposition of colour, texture and line, the sum of which remains infinitely greater than its parts. A study of the first seven of the progressive proofs reveals that the basic shape and background are composed of Phomes material printed in five colours. At this stage however, the composition remains unfinished. Dubuffet completes the composition in three swift steps. The creature's persona begins to take shape after the addition of a white plate which generally describes the face and hands. The addition of a second white plate heightens the formation of the head. Finally a simple black outline of the entire figure including eyes, nose and mouth completes the equation. The six lots offered here constitute an unprecedented, and almost certainly unrepeatable, opportunity to view at auction such an important element of Dubuffet's work in almost forensic detail. The final state of each of these compositions was printed in an edition of fifty. However, as a matter of record, he printed three sets of the complete series, showing how the final image was constructed. The sets progress methodically: an impression of the first plate on its own; the second plate on its own; the first two printed together; the third plate on its own; then the first three printed together, the fourth plate on its own, then the first four printed together, and so on. Seen together, they offer a fascinating insight into Dubuffet's creativity.

Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985)

Personnage au costume rouge (W.806; S.556)

Details

Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985)
Personnage au costume rouge (W.806; S.556)
The extremely rare suite of fifteen colour lithographs, April 1961, progress proofs, on Arches paper, each sheet initialled, inscribed and numbered 2/3
Image: 520 x 380 mm.
Sheet: 632 x 450 mm.
15 (15)

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by the late Ernst Beyeler.

Special Notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.

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Cornelia Svedman

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