Papillons, c.1925 (pochoir print)

Papillons (Butterflies) is one of the most notable works of E. A. Seguy, a French illustrator of the early twentieth century. It consists of twenty richly colored prints, ranging from magnified, scientifically precise depictions of butterflies and other insects to highly schematized patterns based on their abstracted forms. The geometric patterns and wild colors of Seguy’s prints were produced with the pochoir technique, in which intricately cut stencils for hand-coloring were overlaid on a printed photogravure image. Though both labor intensive and expensive, this was a popular printing method in design and fashion publications of the time, allowing for vibrant color and texture. Paris, Tolmer.