Juan Gris (1887-1927) - Aquarelle

Juan Gris - Original pochoir in gouache 1929

Edition of 1500

Printed by Daniel Jacomet

Perfect condition

Sheet 21 x 27 cm

Stencil 14 x 11 cm

In 1929, the stencil is an extremely meticulous artisanal art technique, mainly used for fashion and luxury Art Deco publishing.

The work rests on manual coloring of a sheet on which the outlines have been pre-printed. Artisans cut with a scalpel sheets of brass, zinc, or celluloid — a plate for each shade, sometimes requiring up to 80 stencils for a single image. With round brushes, sponges, or cotton, colorists then apply gouache.

This method offers a unique result: blocks of pure color, a matte surface with perceptible relief, and gradients that are impossible to reproduce with mechanical printing. Long and costly, the technique gradually faded in the early 1930s as industrial printing processes developed.