Attitudes Are Easy and Chaste 1892 - 1899

Maurice Denis created this color lithograph, Attitudes Are Easy and Chaste, using lithographic crayon and ink. It’s printed on thin paper. The crayon is a greasy material that adheres to the lithographic stone, allowing Denis to build up the image through layers of color. Lithography is a printmaking process that relies on the antipathy of grease and water, so the drawn area attracts ink, while the wet stone repels it. What makes this particular print so interesting is how Denis uses the medium to create a kind of dreamlike, soft-focus effect. The colors are muted and the lines are blurred, which gives the image an ethereal quality. It almost looks like a watercolor painting rather than a print. The process itself, with its reliance on touch and careful manipulation of materials, lends the image its distinctive character. This lithograph reminds us that even in a relatively industrialized medium like printmaking, the artist’s hand and material sensibility are key.