Head of Christ

Jean Charlot

This is Jean Charlot's rare first print, done in France when he was 18 years old. He wrote about this work in his catalog raisonné by Peter Morse, page 3:

"I wanted to make a repeated image that could be sold...This was probably the first thing of mine put up for sale, even though it didn't sell. I was one of a group of young Catholic artists - 'La Gildel Notre Dame' - in Paris before I went into military service. Maurice Denis was our 'elder statesman'. I aquired a roller and rolled the watercolors on my block. My original was probably a Spanish sculpture."

This impression is likely one of, according to Morse, "Eight early proofs in final state are printed in watercolors, variously red, purple, or blue...". This image is a purple/brown with a touch of red in the lower left corner. It is pencil signed with the artist's early signature.

Charlot brought this skill to Mexico in 1922 when he set up his printmaking workshop in Coyoacan and began to teach woodcut. This impression was from the collection of friend and collaborator, author Dorothy Rhoads.