Chantez Matines, le jour renait

Art Historical Context

Georges Rouault's *Chantez Matines, le jour renait*Sing Matins, the Day Reborn), created in 1923, a moment of spiritual renewal at dawn. This evocative print, part of a portfolio in the National Gallery of Art's Rosen Collection (Department CG-W), draws on the French artist's deep faith, blending religious devotion with the somber introspection of the post-World War I era. The evokes the liturgical hour of Matins, a call to prayer as day breaks, symbolizing hope amid hardship—a resonant theme in Rouault's oeuvre. Rouault, a key figure in early 20th-century Expressionism with roots in Fauvism, is renowned for his bold, emotive style: thick black contours, vibrant colors, and a gritty texture that conveys human suffering and redemption. Here, he employs a sophisticated mixed-media technique—aquatint and drypoint over heliogravure. Heliogravure provided a photomechanical base for tonal depth, while the hand-applied aquatint (for rich, velvety blacks) and drypoint (for sharp, personal lines) infused the work with his distinctive, painterly touch. This innovative printmaking approach bridged commercial reproduction and fine art, making Rouault's vision accessible yet profoundly intimate. As a portfolio piece, it reflects the era's fascination with print series as affordable art, allowing broader audiences to engage with profound themes. Visitors will appreciate how Rouault transforms technical mastery into a meditation on light piercing darkness.

About the Artist

Georges Rouault · 1871–1958

Georges-Henri Rouault was born on May 27, 1871, in a Paris cellar during the violent "Bloody Week" of the Paris Commune, when a stray shell destroyed his family's home in the working-class Belleville district. Raised by a carpenter father who worked at the Pleyel piano factory and a grandfather who collected prints by Honoré Daumier, Rembrandt, Courbet, and Manet, Rouault showed early artistic pro...