In ‘Epinal,’ Kristof Santy’s Vibrant Tableaux Nod to a 19th-Century French Print Traditions

In 19th-century France, a style of bright, illustrative prints known as Images d’Épinal emerged as a way to portray subjects in sharp colors. The name was derived from the works’ first publisher, who hailed from the municipality of Épinal. And while the designs proved popular in children’s items like card games and books, their use as propaganda glorifying Napoleon I solidified the prints’ rise to fame. Today, “image d’Épinal” has become a proverbial expression in French to refer to a naïve depiction of something, showing only its good characteristics. More

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