Third Bucolic: The Stakes 1955

Jacques Villon made this print, Third Bucolic: The Stakes, using color lithography, so it’s all about layers. You can see how he built up the image, line by line, shape by shape. The color palette is very pastel, but it’s almost got an edge. There’s something a little bit…off about the way he’s put these colors together. It’s like they’re not quite sure what they’re doing, which gives the print a really contemporary feel. Then you notice these scratchy lines, like he was really digging into the surface. Look at that big vase on the left, it feels almost like a drawing, but it’s a print. I love the way he uses these little touches of color to bring the whole thing together. It reminds me of Picabia, but there's a lightness here that is uniquely Villon’s. Ultimately, there is something so open about the print. It doesn’t tell you what to think. It just invites you to look and wonder.