Aigle et chêne, aras et maïs, bordures. Poissons et oiseaux, frise. 1897

Maurice Pillard Verneuil created this print, entitled 'Eagle and Oak, Macaws and Corn, Borders. Fish and Birds, Frieze', using pochoir, a printing technique related to stenciling. Verneuil was deeply invested in the adaptation of natural forms to design, and you can see that here in the relatively simplified, yet elegant shapes. The prints would have begun with line drawings, and then color was painstakingly added through a series of stencils. Consider the labor involved in this method, with each color requiring a separate stencil, and careful application to achieve Verneuil’s vibrant palette. It’s important to think about this in relation to the Arts and Crafts movement, and its complicated relationship with industrial production. By appreciating the materials, methods, and context, we recognize that 'craft' is not separate from 'fine art', but deeply embedded within it.