Switzerland Marks Centenary of Félix Vallotton's Death with Ascona Exhibition

Switzerland is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Félix Vallotton's death with a series of exhibitions, including a major show at Museo Castello San Materno in Ascona. Vallotton (1865–1925) was a Swiss-French painter and printmaker associated with the Nabis, a group of post-Impressionist avant-garde artists who sought to break from Impressionism through flat color, curved lines, and emotional content. Born in Lausanne, he moved to Paris where he initially worked as a portraitist for the bourgeoisie. His graphic work, particularly woodcuts, brought him critical acclaim. The Ascona exhibition highlights the influence of Japanese ukiyo-e on his prints, notably Hokusai's 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji'. Vallotton's 1892 series of six mountain prints—depicting the Breithorn, Matterhorn, Jungfrau, Rhone Glacier, and Mont Blanc—uses zincography instead of woodcut, achieving stark black-and-white contrasts. Later series like 'Paris intense' capture street life, while 'Intimités' (1897–1898) explores bourgeois private life with psychological tension. The show includes 55 works—drawings, paintings, and graphic cycles—and is part of '2025│ Année Vallotton', which also features exhibitions at Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, Musée Jenisch in Vevey, and Kunst Museum Winterthur. The Ascona exhibition runs until September 7, 2025.