Jean-Emile LABOUREUR

One of France’s most prolific artists and printmakers of the 20th century, Jean-Emile Laboureur (1877-1943) is mostly known today for his etching and his woodcuts. His artistic career, launched in Paris around 1900, really started to take off during and after the years spent in North America, from 1904 to 1909. His American subjects, realistic and slightly naïve remain very desirable and are scarce. Upon his return to France his work quickly evolved, and as of circa 1912 he created compositions in a cubist style. Most of his prints were designed for book illustrations. However, many hundreds of etchings and woodcuts, some of which are in color, were fine art prints, in editions ranging from just a few impressions to circa 100. Laboureur’s subject matters are just about as diverse as one’s imagination can stretch.