The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

Black-inked print with curving, streaking, white lines that fade into and out of the black background. The wispy image of a boy resting his cheek on his hands, draped over one another, melds with the dark background. Hair cascades over the boys' face and pools over the edge of his hand.

Sleep (Jean-René Carrière), from L'Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard

1897
printer

Auguste Clot

(French, 1858–1936)

Eugène Carrière

(French, 1849–1906)
publisher

Ambroise Vollard

(French, 1867–1939)
France, 19th century
lithograph
Sheet: 41 x 52.5 cm (16 1/8 x 20 11/16 in.); Image: 34 x 42.7 cm (13 3/8 x 16 13/16 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1954.334
Catalogue raisonné: Delteil 36
Location: Not on view

Description

Eugène Carrière developed an unusual approach to lithography, typically working from dark to light, as seen in this portrait of his young son Jean-René. Rather than drawing with a lithographic crayon, Carrière covered his entire stone with ink, which he then wiped and scraped away to create areas where the paper would show through when printed. Here, the visual effects of this technique combine with expressive, almost abstract forms to give the subject a fantastic, dreamlike atmosphere.
  • Symbolist Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 5, 1991-January 12, 1992).
    Art Nouveau in France. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 1-September 1, 1979).
    The Milieu of Edvard Munch. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 5-June 5, 1977).
  • {{cite web|title=Sleep (Jean-René Carrière), from L'Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard|url=false|author=Auguste Clot, Eugène Carrière, Ambroise Vollard|year=1897|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1954.334