This exquisite heliogravure after Nicolas de Stael (1914–1955), titled Ciel a Honfleur (Sky at Honfleur), from the folio Nicolas de Stael, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Nicolas de Stael, Painters of Today), originates from the 1960 edition published by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris, rendered by Bussiere et Nouel, Paris, and printed by l'Imprimerie Lecot, Paris, May 1960. Ciel a Honfleur reflects de Stael’s mastery of structure, light, and atmosphere, exemplifying his poetic balance between abstraction and figuration.
Executed as a heliogravure on velin paper, this work measures 13.78 x 10.83 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Bussiere et Nouel and the exceptional production standards of Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Nicolas de Stael (1914–1955)
Title: Ciel a Honfleur (Sky at Honfleur), from the folio Nicolas de Stael, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Nicolas de Stael, Painters of Today)
Medium: Heliogravure on velin paper
Dimensions: 13.78 x 10.83 inches (35 x 27.5 cm)
Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1960
Publisher: Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris
Printer: l'Imprimerie Lecot, Paris
Renderer: Bussiere et Nouel, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Nicolas de Stael, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Nicolas de Stael, Painters of Today), published by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris, May 1960
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), CCCLXXV examples of this album, numbered from I to CCCLXXV, are accompanied by an unpublished board illustrating a glued paper of the artist and shot on the presses of Daniel Jacomet, in Paris. The illustrations of this album, completed in May 1960, were shot by Bussiere and Nouel and printed by the l'Imprimerie Lecot. The text was drawn by l'Imprimerie Damien and the binding made by F.l.A.P. according to the models of Marcel Jacno. Fernand Hazan Editeur, 35-37, rue de Seine, Paris. 1960. Droits de reproduction reserves A.D.A.G.P. - Paris.
About the Publication:
Nicolas de Stael, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Nicolas de Stael, Painters of Today), published in Paris in 1960 by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, stands as one of the most distinguished albums in the celebrated Peintres d’aujourd’hui series. Dedicated to presenting the foremost modern artists of the mid-20th century, the publication unites critical scholarship and the finest Parisian craftsmanship in fine art printmaking. Produced under the technical supervision of Bussiere et Nouel and printed by l’Imprimerie Lecot, the heliogravures achieve exceptional tonal range and precision, faithfully preserving the material depth and chromatic luminosity characteristic of de Stael’s art. Each element of the folio, from its typography composed by l’Imprimerie Damien to its binding designed by F.l.A.P. under the guidance of Marcel Jacno, reflects the impeccable aesthetic standards of Fernand Hazan, Editeur. Issued during a pivotal moment in postwar art publishing, this edition represents the intersection of artistic innovation and bibliophilic excellence, embodying the French tradition of producing art books that are both scholarly documents and visual masterpieces. The Nicolas de Stael volume remains a vital testament to Hazan’s commitment to preserving the intellectual and visual legacy of modern art through the enduring medium of print.
About the Artist:
Nicolas de Stael (1914–1955) was a Russian-born French painter whose luminous color harmonies, sculptural impasto, and poetic synthesis of abstraction and figuration made him one of the most important figures of postwar modern art. Known for his thick, layered surfaces of oil paint applied with a palette knife, de Stael transformed pigment into substance and light, creating works that pulse with both emotional depth and architectural precision. Born in St. Petersburg and exiled after the Russian Revolution, he lived in Poland, Belgium, and Morocco before settling in France, where he became immersed in the Parisian avant-garde alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray. Influenced by their radical ideas yet fiercely independent in his vision, de Stael absorbed Picasso’s structural reinvention of form, Kandinsky’s spiritual use of color, Miro’s lyrical rhythm, and Duchamp’s conceptual daring, forging a language uniquely his own. His monumental blocks of color and luminous geometric compositions, such as Les Toits (1951), Parc des Princes (1952), and Paysage Mediterraneen (1953), achieve a balance between tension and serenity, embodying his lifelong search for harmony between intellect and emotion. A central figure of the Nouvelle Ecole de Paris (New School of Paris), de Stael sought to restore humanism and lyricism to painting after the devastation of war, capturing the radiance of light and atmosphere through abstraction infused with life. His canvases reveal a meditative balance between solidity and fluidity, each brushstroke a deliberate negotiation between order and chaos. His approach influenced generations of artists including Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Sean Scully, Etel Adnan, and Peter Doig, who admired his ability to convey emotion through structure and simplicity. Exhibited internationally during his lifetime and held today in major museum collections such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate Modern (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg), de Stael’s work continues to define the lyrical edge of abstraction. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Nicolas de Stael remains a towering modernist whose vision bridged the material and the metaphysical, transforming color into poetry. His highest auction record was achieved by Parc des Princes (1952), which sold for $26.7 million USD at Christie’s, Paris, on October 13, 2011, reaffirming his enduring legacy as one of the most visionary, influential, and collectible painters of the 20th century.
Nicolas de Stael Ciel a Honfleur Sky at Honfleur Peintres d'aujourd'hui Painters of Today Fernand Hazan heliogravure Bussiere et Nouel Imprimerie Lecot abstraction modern art.
