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Sacré Cœur de Jésus
This Sacred Heart of Jesus print is a rare, early example of what are known as Images d’Épinal. Beginning in the late 18th century, the city of Épinal on the Moselle River in the Vosges region of France became the center for printing stencil-colored woodcuts (xylographs) of popular subjects such as Napoleonic history, storybook and folktale characters, and devotional and biblical themes and stories. Images were printed in multiples on thin large sheets of paper (papier vergé) and then hand-colored and cut into individual pieces. Some of the more elaborate prints used the pochoir process for coloring which involved 20 to 250 different stencils. Georges de Georgin, Nicolas Vatot, Raguin, and Jean-Charles Didier were among the first Épinal printers. The name, however, most associated with Épinals is Jean-Charles Pellerin, who in 1796 founded the Fabrique de Pellerin or Imagerie Pellerin. During Napoleon's reign, his company virtually cornered the market of historical imagery, celebrating the exploits of the Emperor and his Grande Armée. These prints are among the forerunners of modern comic strips. The company is still in business today, and still uses its hand-operated presses to produce the antique images. |
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