Artwork
Deuxieme Bureau (Box Office)
Deuxieme Bureau (Box Office) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix Vallotton. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Félix Vallotton’s 1893 lithograph *Deuxième Bureau (Box Office)* presents a densely packed group of figures behind a tall wooden barrier.
Félix Vallotton’s 1893 lithograph *Deuxième Bureau (Box Office)* presents a densely packed group of figures behind a tall wooden barrier. Executed on yellow wove paper, the image is defined by stark black lines that outline the crowd’s hats, coats and tense postures, while a handwritten sign above the fence reads “RUY‑BLAS / POLYËCTE.” The composition captures a moment of collective attention directed toward an unseen event beyond the frame.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays ordinary people gathered in a public space, their faces serious and bodies inclined forward as if awaiting a performance or announcement. A solitary uniformed man stands apart, hands clasped, suggesting a contrast between authority and the surrounding populace. The cramped arrangement behind the fence conveys a sense of confinement and shared anticipation, inviting reflection on social gatherings and collective experience.
Technique & Style
Created as a lithograph on zinc, Vallotton employs precise, angular lines and flat expanses of color characteristic of his early modernist approach. The choice of yellow paper intensifies the contrast of the black outlines, while the repetitive vertical slats of the fence generate a rhythmic pattern that reinforces the crowd’s confinement. The overall visual language reflects the simplified forms and bold compositional strategies associated with the Nabis group.
History & Provenance
Vallotton produced *Deuxième Bureau* during his active involvement with Les Nabis in the 1890s, a period when he explored printmaking alongside painting. The lithograph was issued as part of his series of socially observant works, though specific details of its original exhibition or early ownership remain undocumented in the available records.
Context
The print emerges from a broader turn in late‑19th‑century French art toward depicting contemporary urban life with an unembellished eye. Vallotton’s affiliation with the Nabis—who favored flattened surfaces and decorative outlines—combined with his interest in realistic observation, situating the work at the intersection of avant‑garde aesthetics and documentary impulse.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Félix Édouard Vallotton (French: ; December 28, 1865 – December 29, 1925) was a Swiss and French painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as Les Nabis.
