When he began painting, Félix Vallotton (1865–1925) imitated the styles of Holbein the Younger and Ingres. But in 1892, he became a member of Les Nabis (The Prophets), a secret circle of young artists who had studied together at the Académie Julian, among them Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, and Édouard Vuillard. Vallotton wasn’t quite like the others, however. He held himself somewhat apart, and the style of his paintings—portraits, nudes, love trysts, scenes of political turmoil—was influenced by the flat colors and distinct edges of his woodcuts. This exhibition presents 180 black-and-white woodcuts by the “foreign Nabi,” as Vallotton was known. A highlight of the show is his world famous series “Intimités.”
—Elena Clavarino