Emile Othon Friesz

Original Prints: Woodcuts

 

Enrolled at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in 1898, along with Marquet, Matisse, and Rouault, Othon Friesz (1879 - 1949) took part from the outset in elaborating what was to become fauvism.

Quite refined in relation to fauvist canons, characterized by vibrant rhythms and stark contours, his graphic work unfortunately remains ill known, largely due to the extreme rarity of his early prints, which were only pulled in very small runs of a dozen or so impressions.

 

Othon Friesz, The Ship, woodcut

Le Navire

The Ship

I.F.F. n.d.

woodcut, circa 1908 (?), the only known state

This small yet dynamic seascape is typical of Friesz's early work.

       

 

Othon Friesz, The Oasis, woodcut

L'Oasis

The Oasis

I.F.F. n.d. (see Pernoud, page 96)

woodcut, circa 1908 (?), the only known state

This small fantasy landscape is one of Friesz's best known fauve prints.

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