Laziness 1896

Félix Vallotton made this woodcut, entitled 'Laziness', sometime around 1896 in France. It depicts a nude woman reclining on a patterned bed with a cat resting its head on her arm. Vallotton was associated with the group of artists known as 'Les Nabis', who were interested in challenging the traditional hierarchies of art, and in doing so, they questioned academic conventions. This print is characteristic of Vallotton's style, using stark contrasts and flat planes, influenced by Japanese prints which were widely circulating in Parisian art circles at this time. By naming the print 'Laziness', he may be critiquing the traditional representation of the female nude as an object of male desire. His use of abstraction perhaps renders her less sexualized. To understand this work better, we can consult catalogues and the writings of art critics at the time, to piece together the social and institutional context in which Vallotton was working. Through this historical investigation, we can come to understand the ways the print challenged, and perhaps even reinforced, the existing social norms of its time.