Grand-Papa; Si c'était

Art Historical Context

Henri-Gabriel Ibels created this intimate lithograph in 1895, during the height of France’s Belle Époque. A member of the Nabis group alongside artists like Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, Ibels embraced printmaking as a modern, accessible art form that blurred the line between fine art and popular culture. The title *Grand-Papa; Si c’était* hints at a tender, narrative scene—perhaps a grandfather recounting stories—reflecting the Nabis’ interest in everyday domestic moments rendered with decorative simplicity. Printed in black on wove paper, the work exemplifies lithography’s rise in the 1890s as a versatile medium that allowed artists to reach wider audiences through editions and illustrated publications. Its modest size (roughly 9½ by 12½ inches) suggests it may have been conceived for a portfolio, book, or journal, underscoring Ibels’ commitment to democratizing art beyond the traditional canvas. Today, this print in the National Gallery of Art’s collection offers visitors a glimpse into late-nineteenth-century French visual culture, where technical innovation met poetic storytelling.

About the Artist

Henri-Gabriel Ibels · 1867–1936

Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867–1936) was a French illustrator, printmaker, painter, and author born in Paris to parents of Dutch ancestry. His early life remains sparsely documented, but he trained at the Académie Julian alongside fellow students Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, where Paul Sérusier mentored him into the nascent Nabis group. In 1889, Ibels became a founding member of Les Nabis along...