*FÉLIX VALLOTTON (1865-1925 )Gala Evening / Father tragedy in 3 acts by Aug. Strindberg... / Art Editions of the original print... Program for the theater of the work. 1894. Lithograph. 320 x 245 [460 x 350]. Vallotton and Goerg 53 b; Aitken 68. A very fine proof of the deluxe edition in brown on ivory glossy vellum, signed and numbered in pencil. Scattered light foxing, notably in the right margin. All margins. Father by Strindberg was given on December 13, 1894 at the New Theater. "For the creation of Strindberg's play at L'œuvre, Lugné-Poe entrusted the illustration of the program to Félix Vallotton. An advertisement for the Éditions d'art de l'Estampe originale de Marty occupies an important place. Without a sharp break with it, the 'explanatory' drawing of the piece is relegated to the bottom left corner. Vallotton seems to be more interested in the 'pictorial' aspect than in the literary content. He limits himself to recalling the general subject, the refusal of Pierre, the soldier, to marry a servant girl after having made her a mother. Following Strindberg, Vallotton transposes the theme of the recognition of paternity and to concretize this idea proposes the pyramidal image of the family. He contrasts the dark mass of Pierre, his outraged attitude and expressive features, with the sketched bust of the woman, her gentleness and her relationship with the child." (Geneviève Aitken, Artistes et Théâtres d'Avant-Garde. Programmes de théâtre illustrés Paris 1890-1900. Paris, Promédia, 1991, n° 68). All lots in this sale are subject to an additional 5.5% temporary import tax. In the event of re-exportation outside the European Union, these charges may be refunded to the buyer.