But It Is the Heart that Beats Too Fast

Maurice Denis was a devout Catholic and often drew visual connections between his wife, Marthe, the subject of this print series, and the Virgin Mary.

Description

Maurice Denis belonged to the Nabis, a group of artists who came together in 1889 to pursue a radical new style informed by subjective experience and emotion. This print is from a series in which Denis explored his devotion to his wife, Marthe, by depicting her in a variety of settings alongside titles drawn from his own journal. The vague but evocative images were meant to encourage the viewer to draw connections to the theme and meditate on its meaning.

A vertically oriented color lithograph, its muted yellow and pink tones creating a hazy, soft atmosphere, depicts a nude woman with a light skin tone. She sits facing right, eyes downcast with her hand on her chest. White fabric drapes over her legs while pale green hatches define the chair. To her right, a window reveals a bright outdoor scene. Handwritten French text marks the bottom of the composition.

But It Is the Heart that Beats Too Fast

1899

Maurice Denis, August Clot, Ambroise Vollard

(French, 1870–1943), (French, 1858–1936), (French, 1867–1939)

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