Aanbidding van het Christuskind 1907

Maurice Denis made this lithograph, 'Adoration of the Christ Child', at some point in his life. The colors are so understated, almost like a faded memory, with soft mauves, greens, and reds gently merging. It reminds me of how colors shift and blend in watercolor painting, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. Looking closely, you can see how the lithographic marks create a subtle texture, a kind of delicate graininess across the surface. It’s not about bold strokes or defined edges, but rather a gentle building up of tone, which adds to the reverent mood. The faces, especially, seem to emerge from this hazy background, their expressions caught in a moment of quiet contemplation. There’s a simplicity here, in the soft, muted palette, that speaks volumes. Denis was part of Les Nabis, and you can see hints of Gauguin in the flattening of form, the emphasis on feeling over naturalism. The way the light is handled is also very striking, almost as if it were a flat plane sitting on the surface of the image. It’s like Denis is saying, "I don’t need to be realistic; I want to create an emotional space."