by Lise Coutin (1961)

Just when I think I found a favorite colorway, I realize, that I don’t have just one because Lise Coutin’s marvelous depiction of LES ARMÉES EN CAMPAGNE, The Armies in the Campaign is spectacular in any color combination!

I am particularly fond of this composition because it combines my love of engravings and detailed landscapes with a far reaching perspective, that allows my eye to wonder and my soul to take flight.

I discovered the genius of Albrecht Dürer, (1471–1528) possibly the most important German Renaissance figure, artist and theorist, as an impressionable young teen, when I was captivated by his engravings at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, in particular, his intricate landscapes. Since then, my love and appreciation for his work have grown and so naturally my last visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art took me straight to his works, in particularly his landscapes.

It is no surprise then, that Coutin’s LES ARMÉES EN CAMPAGNE moves me on so many levels. Her artistry and storytelling keep me engaged and in those moments for me time stands still.

In her LES ARMÉES EN CAMPAGNE par Hermès Paris d’après Juan Dolivar (rough translation: THE ARMIES IN THE CAMPAIGN by Hermes Paris according to Juan Dolivar), Coutin masterfully gives both credit and takes her inspiration from Juan Dolivar –

But who is Juan Dolivar?

Juan Dolivar was a Spanish artist, whose etchings seemed to center around the French Académie Royale de Musique, and consequently depicted objects that were props or part of stage sets, including what we might call a “poster” or “program” for a performance today.

But it is his Le Passage du Rhin that provides the clue for Coutin giving credit to this somewhat obscure artist.

With Dolivar’s etching, Le Passage du Rhin, both Coutin’s reference and inspiration become suddenly and beautifully “obvious”…

Juan Dolivar’s Le Passage du Rhin, part of his Les Grandes Conquêtes du Roi (The Grand Conquests of the King) series, has served as an inspiration not just for Madame Coutin’s Hermès carré, but other artists like Adam Frans Van der Meulen (1632-1690) for example,

Incidentally another Hermès carré, the Chevaux d’Apres Van der Meulen by Hugo Grygkar was inspired by Van der Meulen. Should reading more about both design and the artist be of interest, please follow this link to a previous post.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief glimpse into both Lise Coutin’s design and Juan Dolivar, the seventeenth century artist who inspired her LES ARMÉES EN CAMPAGNE Hermès carré.

Additional photos of her exceptional design…

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