Jesu Via et Vita Nostra / Jesu Thesaurus Fidelium

Lithograph printed in light and in dark brown on chine-collé. Reference: BN-IFF 2. Plate 6 for the set of 9 color lithographs titled "Le Cantique des Créatures". From the edition of 100, after the main stone broke (printed in different color variants). Published by the artist. This is one of the two most compelling images of the Cantique des Créatures series. Dulac was clearly pleased with it. He printed it in a variety of color variants despite the fact that the stone had cracked. This “defect”, which is visible throughout the edition, clearly didn’t bother him; or maybe the deeply religious artist simply considered it a sign from God. He also ran a further 20 impressions of this very composition in another dramatic color variant, after the edition of 100 was printed. Monogrammed and numbered in pencil. In very fine condition, aside from faint scattered foxing in the margins. One nearly never sees this iconic print in as fine a condition. NOTE: The lithograph is sometimes also titled La Chapelle de Minerville. Where this title comes from is unclear. The placename of Minerville doesn’t exist in France, only in Algeria. There exists, however, west of Paris, a small town named Ménerville. It is quite possible that the cursive writing of and "é" was mis-transcribed as an "i". There is, about 10 kilometers from Ménerville, in the open country near Guainville, a small chapel named Chapelle Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle. It is quite plausible that Dulac would have visited this area accessible from Paris, be inspired by the lovely chapel, which still stands today, and included it in this composition. The terrace of the abbey of Vézelay makes a similar appearance in Dulac’s oeuvre.