Danger – Eugène Grasset, 1897

“Danger”, lithograph from 1897, designed by Eugène Samuel Grasset and published by G. de Malherbe. Dimensions approx. 91.5 × 56 cm.

Eugène Grasset (1845–1917) was a Swiss graphic designer and illustrator who spent most of his career working in Paris, where he became one of the leading pioneers of Art Nouveau. After early experiments with ceramics and interior design, he devoted himself almost entirely to illustration and lithography from around 1877 onwards. In his graphic work, he developed a distinctive visual language characterized by flowing lines, flat areas of colour, and a strong decorative rhythm.

This work, like Anxiété and Tentation, forms part of the series Dix Estampes Décoratives (caractères de femmes, fleurs emblématiques), issued in an edition of 750 copies. In this series, Grasset links female figures to abstract concepts and emotional states, articulated through a symbolic yet visually accessible imagery.

In Danger, a confident young woman in a red dress is depicted, appearing aware of the threat behind her. To her left, a wolf leaps forward with bared teeth, suggesting vigilance and danger. In combination with the wolf, the red garment may evoke associations with the Little Red Riding Hood motif, albeit without explicit narrative elaboration. In the foreground bloom oleanders (Nerium oleander), an ornamental plant known for its toxicity, which here functions as the fleur emblématique for the concept of “danger.” Grasset appears less concerned with illustrating a fairy tale than with visually exploring an abstract notion: danger as a mental and sensory experience.

With Danger, Grasset demonstrates how decorative design and symbolic subject matter converge within early Art Nouveau. The poster is representative of his approach, in which ornament, figure, and meaning are elegantly interwoven.

Price: Euro 2.150,- (incl. frame)
RESERVED