Alfred Manessier - Bursting - signed lithograph

This lithograph, entitled "Éclatement" (Bursting), is a major work by Alfred Manessier (1911-1993), a leading figure in Lyrical Abstraction. Limited to just 99 copies on Arches vellum paper, this composition is the result of a close collaboration with Imprimerie Mourlot in Paris.

Lithography as a pure means of expression

For Alfred Manessier, printmaking was never a mere reproduction process or a variation of his existing paintings. He approached the lithographic stone as a territory of exploration with its own resources, demanding a specific discipline and mindset. Indeed, the artist defined himself as a lithographer at heart, finding in this medium a grammar capable of carrying his quest for light.

 In "Éclatement", this approach manifests itself in a masterly handling of the black masses that structure the space. These blacks act as vectors of energy, from which bursts of primary colors erupt. The work embodies the very tension of creation, between the technical constraint of the printing press and the freedom of the lyrical gesture.Technical excellence at the service of emotion

Technical excellence at the service of emotion

The very title of the work evokes a luminous explosion, recalling Manessier's fascination with stained glass. The layering of inks, executed with goldsmith-like precision by the Mourlot workshops, creates a rare textural depth. Each color vibrates upon contact with the previous one, respecting this deliberately limited palette that forces the artist to focus on the essential.

This piece bears witness to the maturity of an artist who knew how to tame the demands of the process to turn it into a visual cry, both spiritual and carnal.Work Details

• Artist: Alfred Manessier (1911-1993)
• Title: Éclatement
• Date: 1975
• Technique: Lithograph signed in pencil
• Dimensions: 54 x 75.2 cm
• Numbering: 60/99 (bottom left)
• Publisher: Mourlot, Paris
• Support: Arches vellum paper
• Condition: Excellent state of preservation

Living with a Manessier artwork

Hanging this lithograph in one's home offers a presence that is both dynamic and meditative. Through its interplay of transparency and the density of its pigments, the work seems to reinvent itself according to natural light. It stands as a testament to the beauty of the lithographic technique just as much as it is an invitation to meditation.

"In lithography, the most important element is the discipline imposed by the technical process: the necessity to work within a sometimes very limited range of colors." — Alfred Manessier