Pochoir

The pochoir style is an old, uniquely French method of printmaking. Today the pochoir method is normally done by cutting thin aluminum in such a way that the shapes depicted in the artwork are separate and defined. A special kind of razor is used in this initial stage. Then brushing the gouache (an opaque watercolor) onto the paper with a kind of shaving brush using swirling motions through the aluminum cut-outs creates the effect of a watercolor. The resulting print has the characteristics of an original, one-of-a-kind work, unlike images created by any other multiple printing method known.

Pochoir is often called the grandfather of silkscreen, though silkscreen prints are printed through a screen. However, the basic block-out method is the same. It is a medium that Lautrec, Vuillard, Steinlen, and other poster artists at the turn of the century in France utilized frequently and it was highly valued for its original look.

This print is based on Igor Stravinsky’s 1913 ballet, Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). The positions of the dancers in the print capture significant moments and movements from the ballet. This image was printed by Jacamet Pochoir in Avignon, France. Jacamet is generally considered the finest pochoir printer in the world. This is one of the most complex works the firm has ever printed, and to the best of the company’s knowledge, this is the largest pochoir print produced to date.

Sacre du Printemps