Graver le bois moderne : Paul-Émile Colin, de Pont-Aven à l’Art déco

Exhibition at the Château de Lunéville, 26 June – 27 September 2026

Although still a relatively unknown figure, the Lorraine-born artist Paul-Emile Colin (1867–1949) was nevertheless one of the great innovators of woodcut printmaking, bridging the gap between Symbolism and Art Deco. A fellow traveller of Gauguin in Pont-Aven, a theorist of woodcut art, an illustrator of rare books and a painter who explored all the artistic movements of his time – Synthetism, Symbolism, Neo-Impressionism and Art Deco – he embodies a key chapter in the history of printmaking in France.

This reference catalogue, published to mark the exhibition dedicated to him, traces his unique career – from Pont-Aven to Lorraine – through the exceptional collections of the Musée du Château de Lunéville, the Institut national d’histoire de l’art, and public and private collections. Essays, entries and archival material finally restore this pivotal artist to his rightful place in the history of modern printmaking.