Le Cuivre

Art Historical Context

Le Cuivre, created in 1895 by Pierre-Eugène Vibert, is a lithograph printed in black on distinctive pink wove paper. Measuring just under 10 by 13 inches, this intimate work highlights the expressive potential of lithography, a planographic process invented in the late 18th century that allowed artists to draw directly onto stone or metal plates. By the 1890s, lithography had become a favored medium for original artistic expression rather than mere reproduction, enabling subtle tonal effects and a fluid, almost drawn quality. The unexpected choice of pink paper infuses the black ink with a ge...