Paul Jouve - 1931 Colored Woodcut Depicting A Hunting Tiger

Paul Jouve (1878-1973) Color woodcut from 1931 depicting a tiger hunting. 23 cm by 26 cm “In woodcutting, or xylography, we use the relief size which, unlike the soft size used for drypoint or burin, consists of hollowing out the plate and thus “saving” the elements that will form the lines of the drawing”… In translation: woodcutting is a printing technique where the hollowed out parts become the whites of the image (as for an ink stamp). Many artists have practiced these techniques. Paul Jouve, born March 16, 1878 in Seine-et-Marne, is a French painter, sculptor, illustrator and ceramist renowned for his captivating representations of African wildlife. Immersed in the world of art from a young age, he took advantage of his father's ceramics workshop in Paris, where he learned about color and clay. Encouraged by his parents, he developed a passion for drawing, fueled by his visits to the Jardin des Plantes, where he discovered his fascination with big cats. At the École des Arts Décoratifs, Jouve trained in lithography in the workshop of Henry Patrice Dillon. At the age of 16, he was already exhibiting at the Salon de la Société des Artistes. For the 1900 Universal Exhibition, he created a frieze of wild animals measuring over 100 meters. In 1914, mobilized as a photographer for the Army of the Orient, he continued to paint and, protected by Alexander of Serbia, met influential figures in Europe, thus expanding his clientele. After the war, Jouve exhibited in Athens and received the Legion of Honor in 1920. Inspired by the fauna of Asia and Africa, he was awarded at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1925. During the Second World War, he continued to work and exhibited in Paris and Marseille. In 1945, he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and continued his work until his death in 1973, becoming a key figure in animal art. The framing is contemporary and is reminiscent of the 1930s.