arrow-down-dottedarrow-down-mediumarrow-left-bigarrow-left-smallarrow-right-bigarrow-right-mediumarrow-right-smallarrow-up-bigarrow-up-mediumcheckbox-checkedcheckboxchevron-down-mediumchevron-down-smallchevron-up-mediumchevron-up-smallclose-bigclosecollectioncompare-sliderdownloadexternal-linkgrid-decreasegrid-increaseinfomenuminus-bigminusmutedon-viewpauseplay-cleanplayplus-bigplus-blackplusrotatescalesearchsetsize-downsize-upunionunmutedzoom
Pierre Bonnard, Trial proof of Streetcorner Seen from Above (Coin de rue vue d'en haut) from the series Quelques aspects de la vie de ParisStreet, 1899

Trial Proof

Artists in the fin de siècle were more involved than ever in the creation of their prints. However, techniques like colour lithography were so complex that intensive collaboration with a professional printer was essential. They made a long series of trial proofs together, which offer an insight into the laborious process from preparatory drawing to final print.

The Van Gogh Museum has a substantial collection of prints like this, from a first impression in black pulled from the key stone to experiments with different shades of ink and coloured chalk.

Paul Signac, Trial proof of The Harbour of Volendam (Le port de Volendam), 1898

Paul Signac, Trial proof of The Harbour of Volendam (Le port de Volendam), 1898

Intense dialogue

Ideally, the artist and printer worked side by side at the press. In practice, however, it was often necessary to communicate from a distance.

The master printer Auguste Clot maintained an intensive dialogue with his artists through countless trial proofs. The artist scribbled instructions or drew corrections on the proof in chalk, which Clot then incorporated in a fresh proof, and so on.

Only when the artist was entirely happy did he give his go-ahead for final printing with the words ‘bon à tirer’.



Unique collector's items

While the final edition was often printed in a run of a hundred, the trial proof was unique, which made prints like this highly desirable to collectors.

Artists and printers made clever use of this interest by carefully preserving their trial proofs and signing them for the trade.

Maurice Denis, Trial proof of Reflection in the Fountain (Le reflet dans la fontaine) from the album L'Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard, 1897

Maurice Denis, Trial proof of Reflection in the Fountain (Le reflet dans la fontaine) from the album L'Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard, 1897

Edouard Vuillard, Trial proof of On the Pont de l'Europe (Sur le Pont de l'Europe) from the series Paysages et intérieurs, 1899

Edouard Vuillard, Trial proof of On the Pont de l'Europe (Sur le Pont de l'Europe) from the series Paysages et intérieurs, 1899

Further reading
  • Pat Gilmour (ed.), Lasting Impressions: Lithography as Art, Philadelphia 1988
  • Marije Vellekoop, ‘Een kijkje in de werkplaats. De techniek van de prentkunst’, in Prentkunst in Parijs: De rage van het fin de siècle, Amsterdam 2013, pp. 44-73
  • Gilles Genty, Véronique Serrano, L'oeil d'un collectionneur: Les peintres graveurs Bonnard, Vuillard & les Nabis, exhib. cat., Milan (Musée Bonnard) 2014

Discover all French prints