Mais c’est le coeur qui bat trop vite 1897 - 1899

Maurice Denis made this lithograph of a nude bather in France, likely in the late 19th century, a time when printmaking was enjoying a revival as an artistic medium. Denis was associated with the Nabis, a group of Post-Impressionist artists who sought to express spiritual or emotional states through simplified forms and symbolic colors. In this print, the soft, muted tones and the intimate pose of the figure create a sense of reverie and introspection. The subject of the female nude was common in Western art, but Denis and the Nabis sought to move away from academic conventions and create a more personal and expressive style. The title, which translates to "But it is the heart that beats too fast," suggests a psychological dimension to the image. To fully appreciate the print’s historical and cultural context, you can research the printmaking revival in late 19th-century France and the artistic and philosophical aims of the Nabis. This will help us to understand the social conditions that shape artistic production, and the public role of art in its time.