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Jean Lurçat
Jean Lurcat, The Libra, from The Signs of the Zodiac, 1959
1959

Name: Jean Lurcat, The Libra, from The Signs of the Zodiac, 1959
Brand: Jean Lurçat
Rating: 4.8 (74 reviews)

$1,095List Price

About the Item

This exquisite lithograph and pochoir by Jean Lurcat (1892–1966), titled La Balance (The Libra), from the folio Les Signes du Zodiaque (The Signs of the Zodiac), originates from the 1959 edition published by Editions d’art du Lion, Paris, and rendered and printed by l’atelier Daniel Jacomet, Paris, November 20, 1959. La Balance reflects Lurcat’s mastery of symbolic design and color harmony, embodying his visionary synthesis of mythology, geometry, and spiritual allegory through modernist abstraction. Executed as a lithograph and pochoir on velin d’Arches paper, this work measures 13 x 18 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of l’atelier Daniel Jacomet, Paris. Artwork Details: Artist: Jean Lurcat (1892–1966) Title: La Balance (The Libra), from the folio Les Signes du Zodiaque (The Signs of the Zodiac) Medium: Lithograph and pochoir on velin d’Arches paper Dimensions: 13 x 18 inches (33.02 x 45.72 cm) Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued Date: 1959 Publisher: Editions d’art du Lion, Paris Printer: l’atelier Daniel Jacomet, Paris Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Les Signes du Zodiaque (The Signs of the Zodiac), published by Editions d’art du Lion, Paris; rendered and printed by l’atelier Daniel Jacomet, Paris, November 20, 1959 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), Finished printing, Friday, November 20, 1959 on the presses of the Union Printing in Paris for typography; and, in Daniel Jacomet's workshops for the illustrations. The original edition of this album, printed on Arches paper, has been limited to CL examples, all including a lithography composed on this occasion by Jean Lurcat and signed by him. CXXXV examples are numbered from I to CXXXV; XII copies, including in addition an artist's gouache, are numbered from A to I; finally III examples, on which the author of the Signs of the Zodiac has kindly reported some of his graphic research, are numbered I, II and III. About the Publication: Les Signes du Zodiaque (The Signs of the Zodiac) was a fine art album published in Paris by Editions d’art du Lion in 1959, featuring a series of lithographs inspired by the twelve astrological signs. Conceived as a meditation on cosmic order and symbolic expression, the publication united some of the foremost artists and craftspeople of mid-century France. The project exemplified the refined tradition of the livre d’artiste, or artist’s book, in which text and image were created in harmony through the collaboration of painters, poets, and master printers. Printed by the renowned atelier of Daniel Jacomet, the edition reflected the Parisian commitment to preserving artisanal excellence in lithography, pochoir, and color reproduction during the postwar period. Each example was produced with meticulous care on fine Arches paper, combining modernist aesthetics with a sense of timeless allegory that characterized the golden age of French art publishing. About the Artist: Jean Lurcat (1892–1966) was a pioneering French painter, ceramicist, and tapestry master who transformed the ancient art of tapestry into a modern, intellectual, and spiritual medium, establishing himself as one of the most original and influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Bruyeres, France, Lurcat studied in Nancy and Paris, where he became part of the avant-garde circle that included Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray. His early paintings reflected the influence of Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and Symbolism, but his true innovation came when he reimagined tapestry as a form of monumental art rather than decorative craft. Profoundly inspired by the medieval Apocalypse of Angers tapestry, he sought to revive the grandeur of weaving by fusing ancient techniques with modernist abstraction and symbolism. In the 1930s, working with the Aubusson and Gobelins workshops, Lurcat revolutionized the process of tapestry-making by introducing a precise color notation system and standardizing thread palettes, allowing artists to maintain creative control from conception to completion. His bold compositions—radiant with color, geometric rhythm, and allegorical imagery—embodied a philosophy of cosmic balance and human resilience. After World War II, Lurcat’s work deepened in moral and spiritual scope, culminating in his monumental cycle Le Chant du Monde (“The Song of the World,” 1957–1965), a humanist response to the destruction of war and one of the greatest artistic achievements of the postwar era. His art, characterized by suns, moons, mythic creatures, and symbolic geometry, reflected his belief that art should harmonize intellect, craft, and emotion while reconnecting humanity to the natural and divine order. A contemporary and peer of Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Lurcat shared their passion for abstraction and innovation while extending it into the tactile, enduring world of textile art. His influence resonated with later artists and designers such as Fernand Leger, Sonia Delaunay, Le Corbusier, and Victor Vasarely, whose integration of color and geometry echoed his ideas. His work is preserved in major collections including the Musee Jean Lurcat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine in Angers, the Musee d’Art Moderne de Paris, and the Centre Pompidou. The highest auction record for Jean Lurcat was achieved by Apocalypse Tapestry, which sold for $290,500 USD at Sotheby’s, Paris, on May 29, 2014, underscoring his enduring legacy as the visionary who redefined tapestry as a cornerstone of modern art. Jean Lurcat La Balance 1959, Lurcat The Libra, Lurcat Les Signes du Zodiaque, Lurcat Jacomet lithograph, Lurcat Editions d’art du Lion, Lurcat velin d’Arches paper, Lurcat collectible print.

Creator:
Jean Lurçat (1892 - 1966, French)
Creation Year:
1959
Dimensions:
Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 18 in (45.72 cm)
Medium:
Lithograph
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
1950-1959
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Southampton, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1465214344672

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Jean Lurçat

Credited with helping revive the design and production of tapestries during the 20th century, French artist Jean Lurçat rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest painters in the world while weaving his own artistic narrative into the fabric of history.

Lurçat met artists Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Paris in his early twenties — when the Bruyères native found himself fully immersed in the French art world. He had studied at Académie Colarossi and worked in the studio of sculptor Victor Prouvé, and later made paintings inspired by Fauvism. Lurçat first exhibited his tapestries in 1917.

Lurçat’s inaugural textiles were constructed with weaver Marthe Hennebert and were marked by Cubism and avant-garde–inspired art styles before he embarked on extensive travels that would enrich his work. Lurçat’s travels exposed him to other movements and styles that ranged from German Expressionism to Spanish and African influences that inspired his later works.

Lurçat’s tapestries found a regular home in 1925 at Jeanne Bucher’s gallery, which featured the work of other artists including Pablo Picasso, Hans Arp, Jacques Lipchitz, Georges Braque and Max Ernst. Between 1930 and 1936, Lurçat had solo exhibitions at the Flechtheim Gallery in Berlin and the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. In 1939 — when the popularity of tapestries had long been on the decline — Lurçat opened a factory with other artists in Aubusson, the home of a centuries-old tapestry production industry, in order to create modernist tapestries.

Over the course of his life, Lurçat designed more than 1,000 tapestries. One of his most notable, Apocalypse Tapestry (1948), is on display in the Church of Notre-Dame de Toute-Grâce and complements the original which dates back to the 14th century. His other highly acclaimed works include Song of the World (1957–64) and Four Seasons (1940).