Accession Number
1960/2.69

Title
Eau-forte VI

Artist(s)
Pierre Soulages

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1957

Medium & Support
etching on paper

Dimensions
23 1/4 in x 17 in (59.06 cm x 43.18 cm);23 3/8 in x 17 1/8 in (59.37 cm x 43.5 cm);32 1/8 in x 26 1/8 in (81.6 cm x 66.36 cm);30 1/16 in x 22 7/16 in (76.36 cm x 56.99 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
Pierre Soulages began printmaking in the 1950s. At first, his prints were strikingly reminiscent of his earlier paintings, which drew inspiration from calligraphic forms. However, by 1957, the year in which this etching was executed, his prints became more detached from his earlier works, focusing more on the specific techniques of the etching process. He was particularly interested in how he could apply varnishes and the acids required in the etching process in various ways to achieve a range of texture and color. As in this work, he explored different thicknesses of lines by changing the degree to which he burrowed into the plate, with deeper engravings resulting in the bolder lines, and more shallow cuts forming the thinner striations in the upper and lower portions of the print.

Physical Description
This abstract composition has the form of a Latin cross, but with black lines criss-crossed in the upper and lower portions, connected by a thick vertical line that stretches between both portions. Thin vertical lines also cover the upper and lower areas of the composition.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Non-Representational Art
abstraction
etching (printing process)
experimentation
modern and contemporary art