Spencer Museum of Art

Alfred Jarry Exhibition

About L'Ymagier

L'Ymagier I, (October 1894)

Spencer Museum of Art &
267 x 214 mm

• Anonymous
  (The Moon and Stars)
• Anonymous
  (The Sun and the Four Winds)
• Émile Bernard?
  (L'Ymagier's scribe)
• Anonymous
  (Musical Angel)
• Anonymous
  (Musical Angel)
• Charles Filiger
  Miniature de Filiger
• L'Ymagier I
• L'Ymagier I
• L'Ymagier I
• L'Ymagier I
• L'Ymagier I
• Anonymous
  Jésus sur la croix
• Remy de Gourmont
• Anonymous
  Le Miroir du Pécheur
• Ascribed by L'Ymagier to Christoph van Sichem the Elder
  L'État d'un homme dans le péché mortel
• Ascribed by L'Ymagier to Christoph van Sichem the Elder
  L'État d'une âme qui se convertit à Dieu
• Ascribed by L'Ymagier to Christoph van Sichem the Elder
  L'État d'une homme retombant dans le péché mortel
• Ascribed by L'Ymagier to Christoph van Sichem the Elder
  L'État d'une homme retombant dans le péché mortel
• Émile Bernard
  Sainte Hélène
•  

L'Ymagier appeared in eight issues (October 1895- December 1896). Jarry edited the first four issues with Remy de Gourmont (a novelist, poet, playwright and philosopher) but, after the two had a falling out, the remaining four were edited by de Gourmont alone with a few lingering contributions from Jarry. In L'Ymagier I the editors announced their intention to publish about 200 images each year, including old vignettes, works by Dürer, restrikes from old blocks conserved in Troyes, and eight large folio Images d'Épinal specially printed (or re-printed) for L'Ymagier. The town of Épinal was, since 1782, the home of the Pellerin company that produced thousands of popular prints, now uniformly referred to as Images d'Épinal.

In L'Ymagier works by contemporary artists, including the editors, appeared cheek by jowl with historical and popular prints. In particular, the first three volumes of L'Ymagier include a significant sampling of works by artists associated with Pont-Aven: Filiger, Armand Séguin, Roderic O'Conor, Émile Bernard, Louis Roy, and perhaps Gauguin, who is represented by a problematic print after one of his compositions. Jarry doubtless became familiar with these artists through his contact with Filiger and Gauguin.