Henri Laurens: Papier Collés – Lithograph (Mid-20th Century)
This lithograph by Henri Laurens (1885–1954), a pioneering Cubist sculptor and illustrator, showcases his lesser-known but masterful work in paper collage (papier collé) translated into print. A close associate of Braque and Picasso, Laurens adapted Cubism’s fractured planes into lyrical, organic forms—evident here in layered, overlapping shapes that suggest still-life elements or abstracted figures.
The lithograph likely reproduces one of Laurens’ 1910s–1940s collages, where he played with textured paper, newsprint, and muted earth tones to create rhythmic compositions. Unlike the sharp edges of Synthetic Cubism, Laurens’ style leans toward soft, curvilinear volumes, echoing his sculptural work in stone and bronze.
“A sculptor’s eye on flat paper—where every cut sings of volume and void.”
Laurens’ prints are rarer than his sculptures but revered for bridging Cubism and poetic abstraction.
