Chestnut-Tree

The chromolithograph represents the stylized forms of the leaves and inflorescences of the chestnut tree. The print shows the different kinds of applications of the natural form. The stylized motifs appear on flat surfaces as a band and corner motifs, and as repeating elements of closed rectangular panels, as well as motifs decorating the surface of a vase, a three-dimensional object. The print is part of the series titled La Plante et ses applications ornementales (1896), executed under the direction of the Swiss decorative artist and professor of design, Eug?ne Grasset (1845–1917). Rejecting the imitation and copying of the historical styles, Grasset turned exclusively to Nature, the primary source of ornamental design in the era of Art Nouveau. The creator of the print is one of his students, Anna Martin.
Grasset, Eug?ne - Martin, Anna: Chestnut-Tree. La Plante et ses applications ornementales, Paris : Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, [1896], I. Plate 54. © Schola Graphidis Art Collection, Hungarian University of Fine Arts - High School of Visual Arts, Budapest