E. Melik (1904-1976), Masks, Lithograph On Velin Paper, Numbered 122/180, Framed

Large lithograph produced by the A. Mignon workshop on Velin paper, numbered 122/180, lower left. Framed under glass with an oak frame. Judging from his earliest works, Mélik was initially interested in grouping figures in realistic scenes, such as these women gathered around a washhouse. The composition is skillful, and we can already see a pictorial system that plays drawing and color in opposition to one another. Few landscapes, no still lifes. Mélik chose the human figure, which he would increasingly place at the center of his universe. Sometimes the scene, supposedly inspired by reality, disappears in favor of a study of human physiognomy and its expressions (later, the motif of the mask would appear). Through ochres or improbable balances of color, Mélik explores human reality in its strangeness. He multiplies the viewpoints at a dizzying rate for "scenes" that no longer have anything to do with narrative.