Elsie Denise Millon, 'Mieux vaut l'oiseau dans la main, que le faisan qui vole' (A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush), a set of three color pochoirs, c. 1920. Signed and titled in the matrix. Fine impressions, with fresh colors, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (1/2 to 3/4 inch); rippling in the margins otherwise in excellent condition. Never matted or framed. Image size 9 11/16 x 6 1/4 inches; sheet size 10 15/16 x 7 1/2 inches. Archivally sleeved, unmatted.
ABOUT THESE WORKS
Pochoir is a refined stencil-based technique employed to create multiples or to add color to prints produced in other mediums. Characterized by its crisp lines and rich color, the print-making process was most popular from the late 19th century through the 1930s, with its center of activity in Paris. The pochoir process began with the analysis of an image’s composition, including color tones and densities. The numerous stencils (made of aluminum, copper, or zinc) necessary to create a complete image were then designed and hand-cut by the 'découpeur.' The 'coloristes' applied watercolor or gouache pigments through the stencils, skillfully employing a variety of different brushes and methods of paint application to achieve the desired depth of color and textural and tonal nuance. The pochoir process, by virtue of its handcrafted methodology, resulted in the finished work producing the effect of an original painting, and in fact, each print was unique.