Les attitudes sont faciles et chastes

Art Historical Context

Maurice Denis created *Les attitudes sont faciles et chastes* as a color lithograph in collaboration with publisher Ambroise Vollard and master printer Auguste Clot. The title, translating to “The attitudes are easy and chaste,” evokes the quiet, graceful poses often found in Symbolist imagery. Dating from the 1890s and published in 1911, the work reflects the period when artists turned to printmaking to explore decorative line and harmonious color. Vollard’s pioneering editions helped bring modern prints to wider audiences, and Clot’s technical skill allowed Denis’s delicate forms to be reproduced with luminous subtlety on thin cream wove paper. Measuring roughly 15 by 11 inches in the image, the lithograph demonstrates how fine-art prints could preserve the intimate, spiritual quality of Nabi and Symbolist aesthetics. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, this sheet offers visitors a glimpse into the vibrant printmaking culture that bridged painting and graphic art at the turn of the twentieth century.