M.P. Verneuil

M.P. Verneuil is known for being a leading Art Nouveau and Art Deco decorative designer. He produced patterns for ceramic tiles, wallpapers, and textiles.

When considering M.P. Verneuil's prints, it is useful to understand some basic print terminology. A "vintage print" is made around the time the negative was taken. A "period print" is one made within roughly 10 to 15 years after. If the printing time is unknown, or more than 15 years after, it is simply an "old print". A "modern print" is a recent print from the original negative. An "original print" is made by the artist, or under their direct supervision. A "facsimile" is a print made by re-photographing a print, or using the original negative, with base and processing as close as possible to a vintage print. The market for photographic prints has two sectors: old prints and others. The old print market values original rarity, any remaining examples, the uniqueness of the subject, and artistic excellence as defined by photographic historians. The price nears its limit when all, or a large number of, these criteria are met.

M.P. Verneuil belonged to the Art Nouveau movement, which took hold in the West during the 1880s and 1890s. It was a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the perceived creative void it left behind. The movement sought to create a new aesthetic of nature, achieved through the study of natural subjects. Art Nouveau artists, including William Morris, Gustav Klimt and Antoni Gaudí, favoured innovation in technique and novelty of form. The style triumphed at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900 and continued to inspire artists thereafter. Art Déco appeared after the Second World War as a successor. Art Nouveau was not a uniform style; it varied by country and taste. In England, it was known as the Liberty Style, after the London department store that championed the movement. In France, Art Nouveau was characterised by sculpted ornamentation that retained the natural grace of flowers. In Germany, the movement was known as Jugendstil.

M.P. Verneuil was a printmaker who worked in the Art Deco style. Lithography is a printing process he may have used. It involves drawing a design with a greasy crayon on a stone block or metal plate. Water and ink are then poured over the surface; the crayon repels the water but retains the ink. The design then transfers to another medium, such as paper, when the block or plate is applied under pressure. Encaustic painting, which uses coloured waxes and a hot plate to fuse the final composition, was another technique of the era. The method had many variations; some involved putting a layer of wax on a gouache painting, while other methods used coloured waxes. These techniques were part of a broader interest in rediscovering the methods used by ancient painters, who were thought to have superior techniques.

M.P. Verneuil was known for his full-colour Art Nouveau designs, especially floral patterns and borders. He published several books of design ideas around 1900, including *Étude de la Plante: son application aux industries d’art* (circa 1900), *L’ornementation par le Pochoir*, and *250 Bordures* (1904, with others). These books were intended as resources for artists and designers working in a variety of media. Art Nouveau was a decorative and architectural style that developed in the West during the 1880s and 1890s. It was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the perceived creative void it left behind. The movement sought to create a new aesthetic of nature through the study of natural subjects. Artists such as Gustav Klimt, Antoni Gaudí, and William Morris favoured innovation in technique and novelty of forms. Verneuil's publications offered practical instruction and inspiration to those working in this style.

M.P. Verneuil's work can be viewed in museums that hold collections of Art Deco and Post-Impressionism artwork. These include institutions in Europe and North America. In France, you can see his work at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (105-107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris), Musée des Beaux-Arts (3 Place Stanislas, 54000 Nancy), and Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy (36-38 Rue du Sergent Blandan, 54000 Nancy). Other European museums include the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisbon, Portugal), Museu d’Art Modern (Barcelona, Spain), and the Brangwyn Museum (Brugge, Belgium). In the United Kingdom, see collections at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton), Manchester Art Gallery (Mosley Street, Manchester), the National Museums of Scotland (Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London). In the United States, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, or the Wolfsonian (Miami Beach).

M.P. Verneuil, who debuted at the Salon in 1857, gained recognition as a painter specialising in rural and marine scenes, particularly those of Brittany and Normandy. He was also acclaimed as a lithographer. Although direct connections between Verneuil and later artists are not well documented, his work fits into a broader context. Jacques Cambry suggested in 1836 that artists and poets should draw inspiration from Brittany, 'the most rural and the most picturesque region in France'. From 1838 onwards, artists such as Leleux, Boudin, Dureau, Feyen, and Breton depicted Brittany's untouched nature, varied , temperate climate, unique costumes, and particular light. By the mid-1870s, these qualities contributed to the development of international artists' colonies at Cancale, Douarnenez, Pont-Aven, and Concarneau. Vernier's paintings would have contributed to the popularity of the region among artists.

M.P. Verneuil was part of a generation of artists who moved away from Impressionism. Several figures and movements affected Verneuil's artistic development. He was associated with the Nabis, a group of Post-Impressionist avant-garde artists. Paul Ranson, a painter, decorator, and graphic artist, was a central figure; artists gathered at his studio to discuss aesthetics and philosophy. The Nabis sought a union of fine and decorative arts. Other artists who were associated with the Nabis include Ker-Xavier Roussel, and Édouard Vuillard, though Vuillard was not always consistent in following their ideals. Verneuil's connections to the Nabis reflect a broader interest in Symbolism and a departure from purely representational art towards more subjective and expressive forms.

M.P. Verneuil's works are relevant because they reflect the late 19th-century explosion of colour in visual culture. This chromatic expansion resulted from the mass production of new synthetic dyes in Britain, Switzerland, and Germany. These colours added vividness and variety to items available for purchase. Following William Henry Perkin's commercialisation of mauve in the late 1850s, manufacturers quickly introduced other synthetic dyes. This development made colour a central aspect of modern visual culture. The availability of new colours coincided with, and influenced, Impressionism. The rise of synthetic dyes also affected the economic and intellectual resources of European manufacturers. France, a leader in fashion, became increasingly reliant on foreign-made dyes. This reliance highlights the shifting industrial landscape of the period.

M.P. Verneuil's earlier style was floral Art Nouveau, inspired by Japanese art and natural forms. He later transitioned to geometric Art Deco.