Devils of Lithography: Plate 1 - Eugène Lepoittevin

A detailed nineteenth-century lithograph by Eugène Lepoittevin featuring a collection of grotesque and supernatural vignettes from his 'Diableries' series.

This lithograph by Eugène Lepoittevin belongs to a series titled 'Diableries', which translates to 'Devilries'. During the early nineteenth century, French artists frequently utilised the medium of lithography to explore the grotesque, the macabre, and the supernatural. Lepoittevin, a painter and printmaker, demonstrates his technical facility here by arranging various vignettes of demonic activity within a single sheet. The composition functions as a collection of sketches, each depicting different manifestations of folklore and infernal mischief.

Visual elements include winged creatures, skeletal figures, and human-like demons engaged in mundane or chaotic tasks. The artist employs a fine, precise line to define the anatomy of these figures, contrasting the dark, shadowy recesses of the scenes with the lighter paper ground. The work reflects the period's fascination with the fantastic, a common theme in French Romantic art that sought to move beyond classical restraint. By grouping these disparate scenes, Lepoittevin creates a narrative of chaos, where the boundaries between the human and the monstrous are blurred.

Lepoittevin was known for his versatility, moving between maritime subjects and genre scenes. This specific series highlights his ability to adapt to the popular demand for satirical and imaginative prints that circulated in Parisian print shops. The print captures the dark humour prevalent in the era, providing a glimpse into the visual culture of the 1830s. The figures are rendered with a sense of movement and theatricality, typical of the lithographic style of the time, which allowed for a more fluid and expressive line than traditional engraving. This piece offers an insight into the darker side of nineteenth-century French graphic arts, where the imagination was given free rein to populate the page with curious and unsettling entities.