Five O'Clock (Cinq Heures) (1898)

"Five O'Clock (Cinq Heures)" (1898) is a work by Félix Vallotton. It is listed in the Illustration collection. The image is in landscape orientation. Illustration, a short history: The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age of book and magazine illustration. Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. Context for 1898: Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form.

Buying "Five O'Clock (Cinq Heures)" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

French, 1865–1925

If you like the visual language of Félix Vallotton, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.