Entering the Water (L'entrée dans l'eau)

Vallotton employs a traditional woodcut process, carving broad, flat areas of tone that translate into solid black shapes against the warm brown substrate. The limited palette—solely black ink—creates a high‑contrast effect typical of late‑19th‑century printmaking, and the simplified, almost graphic treatment reflects the artist’s affinity for clear, unemotional representation.

Created during Vallotton’s involvement with the Nabis, the print marks a period when he refined a pared‑down visual language that would influence modern woodcut practice. It contributed to his growing reputation beyond France and Switzerland, helping to establish his status as a leading figure in contemporary printmaking.

The work aligns with the Nabis’ interest in decorative flatness and symbolic reduction, yet it retains Vallotton’s characteristic realism. In the 1890s, artists were exploring the expressive potential of limited media, and this piece exemplifies the era’s shift toward abstraction of form while maintaining representational content.