If you follow my blog, you may recall that my love has primarily been with the vintage HERMES carre. But I must admit when I first saw the Fantaisie Pittoresque carre, my heart skipped a beat – it was love at first sight!

I typically start my days before the world wakes up in order to soak up as much of what Mother Nature has to offer.  So a scarf with overgrown gardens, mysterious cottages and vistas as far as the eye can see, immediately captured my imagination.

I had to know more about the scarf and its creator, François Houtin.

I learned that François Houtin is a renowned contemporary French artist, born in Craon en Mayenne, France in 1950.  I suppose, I was not surprised that Monsieur Houtin was trained as a landscape architect before he became a full-time artist and printmaker in the late 70s.  Given his background, he was entrusted with the restoration of one of my favorite places in Paris, the Jardin des Tuileries in 1991, the inspiration of yet another favorite of mine, the Les Tuileries carre by Joachim Metz.

Monsieur Houtin has worked with Hermès’ on several projects including the famous Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, store windows as well as a series for the La Table Hermès dining tableware.

In 2010, the year of “Tales To Be Told”,  he designed the enchanting Les Maisons Enchantées tableware with sepia colored utopian landscapes.

photos of Francoise Houtin’s etchings courtesy of Warnock Fine Arts

Additional photos of his fabulous Fantaisie Pittoresque available for immediate purchase