Outline

The name Fernand Mourlot (1895 – 1988) and the print studios (atelier) he ran are the stuff of legend among the artists who lived and worked in Paris in the 20th century.

It was with the death of his father in 1921 that Fernand and his older brother took over the running of their father’s printing company and changed its name to Mourlot Brothers. As a lithographic printing shop producing primarily champagne labels and advertisements in a corner of Paris, it wasn't until a poster they produced for the Delacroix exhibition held at the Louvre in 1930 drew widespread attention that the Mourlot company began to develop as a studio specializing in fine art lithograph prints. Beginning with Matisse in the 1930s, and followed after World War II by Picasso, Chagall, Miró and others, one great artist after another discovered Fernand’s studios and became absorbed in the creation of lithographic prints. At the studio, the artists worked in consultation with the lithograph artisans and printers to create prints, laboring in collaboration until they could produce prints that satisfied their exacting artistic demands. The creative process often involved repeated experiments with revolutionary new techniques to get the results they wanted. In this way, Atelier Mourlot became a studio where the collaborative efforts of the artists and lithographers expanded the creative possibilities of lithography as a creative medium. 

In this exhibition, we introduce some 200 exhibit items, including lithographic prints by the great masters of the 20th century, as well as print-illustrated books and art magazines and items like a press.

Programs

Lecture (in Japanese)

Lecturer: Yusaku Masuda
“Fernand Mourlot and Original Lithographs as an Autonomous Art Form”
Saturday April 18, 14:00－15:30
No reservation needed, free of charge, limited to first 50 people (Museum admission stub required)

A contributor to this exhibition, Yusaku Masuda went to Paris in 1964 as an exchange student to study printing and art. There he discovered the art of lithograph printmaking that was different from the “creative printmaking” (sosaku hanga) popular in Japan. In 1974 he signed a technical assistance contract with Fernand Mourlot and established a lithography studio in Tokyo named “Atelier MMG” (1974 – 2007). There he worked with many Japanese artists to create original lithographs. Masuda is also the Japanese translator of Fernand Mourlot’s book Engraved in My Memory (published as Paris no Kobo – Kioku ni Kizamareta Geijutsuka-tachi, Kyuryudo. In this lecture he speaks about Fernand Moulot and lithography.

Gallery Talks by the Curator (in Japanese)

Saturday April 4, Saturday May 2, 14:00－15:00
The curator in charge talks about the exhibition in the galleries.
No reservations needed / Gather at the Entrance Hall 14:00

Guided Tours

Tours of the permanent collection and the exhibition by guide staff.
14:00－15:00 daily except on days of lectures, curator gallery talks.
No reservations needed / Gather at the Entrance Hall 14:00