Terra Incognita: Dulac's Suite De Paysages August 27, 2010

A brilliant French lithographer at the end of the 19th century, Charles Dulac (1865-1898) lived an isolated life, but was well known to many of his contemporaries. Around 1890 he developed the fatal disease of lead poisoning, which precipitated his joining the Third Order of St. Francis toward the end of his short life. Most often associated with the Symbolist movement, Dulac saw divinity--the hand of God--in nature, and created prints that celebrated the mystical rather than the actual appearance of landscapes. In 1892-93, Dulac created his Suite de Paysages (Suite of Landscapes), a rare masterpiece of French color lithography. A deluxe edition, the McNay's version includes working proofs showing Dulac's experiments with color and tonal variations. Subtle changes in color can dramatically change the emotive quality of an image.