Félix Edouard Vallotton

Félix Edouard Vallotton

(December 28, 1865 – December 29, 1925) Vallotton was a Swiss/French painter and printmaker associated with Les Nabis.

This is a detail of his 1885 Self Portrait

I wanted to write a few words about Vallotton. This is a painter I’m getting to know. It kills me that Vallotton painted the above self portrait at the age of 20 in 1885. The work is so full of self confidence. The color pallette and understanding of paint is mature. And his ability to embue a painting with emotion and a sense of being is obvious.

I can’t help but think of Van Gogh, who in 1885 was driving his father to an early grave and had yet to find his own renouned portrature style. Vallotton who was living in Paris and was still studying when he painted that portrait. Van Gogh shown in his self portrait from 1887.