Le Violoncelle, from Instruments de Musique

Félix Vallotton (1865-1925) was a Swiss-born artist whose distinctive style bridged Post-Impressionism and modernism. Though he produced significant paintings, his revolutionary woodcuts established his reputation and revitalized the medium in late 19th-century Europe.

Vallotton's woodcuts, particularly his 1890s series "Intimités" (see lot 126) depicting bourgeois domestic scenes, employed stark black-and-white contrasts and flattened compositions that broke radically with prevailing artistic conventions. These prints, featuring minimal lines and expansive black spaces, captured intimate moments with psychological tension and subtle social critique. Their innovative graphic style influenced Art Nouveau and anticipated aspects of 20th-century design.

After joining the Nabis group in Paris, Vallotton expanded into painting interiors, portraits, landscapes, and nudes characterized by cool detachment and unsettling psychological undercurrents. His paintings feature smooth surfaces, simplified forms, and unusual perspectives that create an atmosphere of disquiet.

As he matured, Vallotton developed a distinctive pictorial style combining realistic representation with deliberate artifice. Though sometimes overlooked in the canonical narrative of modern art, his work's emotional restraint and formal innovation have earned renewed appreciation for anticipating various 20th-century movements from Surrealism to Neue Sachlichkeit.