Brand, acte V (projet de programme)

Art Historical Context

**Brand, acte V (projet de programme)** *ice Dumont, 1895* Lithograph in black on Japan paper Step into the dramatic world of late 19th-century Paris with Maurice Dumont's *Brand, acte V (jet de programme)*, a captivating 1895 lithograph in the National Gallery of's Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection. This monochromatic print on fine Japan paper—a luxurious, thin oriental paper prized for its texture and absorbency—serves as a preliminary design for a program cover, spotlighting Act V of Henrik Ibsen's brooding Norwegian play *Brand*. Dumont, a French artist active in the bustling theater scene, channeled the era's passion for dramatic arts into this evocative project. Lithography, a revolutionary technique by the 1890s, enabled Dumont to achieve intricate lines and tonal depth with greasy crayon on stone, perfect for bold promotional designs. During the Belle Époque, such prints bridged fine art and popular culture, echoing masters like Jules Chéret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who elevated posters to collectible status. Here, the stark black ink evokes the play's themes of fanaticism and redemption, transforming ephemera into enduring art. This rarity from the CG-E department highlights how theater programs became canvases for artistic innovation, preserving a snapshot of cultural fervor. A gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson, it invites us to appreciate the fusion of literature, performance, and printmaking that defined fin-de-siècle Europe.