L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ Illustrations by Maurice Denis
Clémence Gaboriau
Recognized as one of the most influential artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the multi-talented Maurice Denis (1870-1943) did important work in painting, decoration, theory and illustration.
In the 1890s, Denis, then a young artist hoping to achieve his creative freedom, set out to define a more modern kind of painting and illustration. Gradually abandoning the realist outlook in art, he began to call for a subjective relationship between the artist’s perception and his depictions. In illustration, likewise, he called for a greater artistic autonomy in interpreting texts. From a young age he showed a strong interest in books, especially religious ones, and his early illustrations underscore the great harmony between his artistic practice and his faith, of which L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ is one of the most important demonstrations.
An essential reading for the young Christian artist
Denis had the idea of illustrating L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ very early on. This devotional set of precepts was written to help believers follow Jesus Christ on the path of interior life. After the Bible, it has been one of the most widely distributed and read works in the world since the end of the Middle Ages. The text’s author is officially anonymous, though scholars have often attributed it to the Dutch monk Thomas à Kempis. It comprises four parts:
Book 1, “Admonitions Profitable for The Spiritual Life”, including 25 chapters
Book 2, “Admonitions Concerning the Inner Life”, with 12 chapters
Book 3, “On Inward Consolation”, with 59 chapters
Book 4, “Of the Sacrament of the Altar”, with 18 chapters.
Each section can be read on its own. More than a treatise, the collection resembles an ascetic manual, intended to support the reader throughout life, exhorting him to recollect, give penance and interiorise his faith.
The young Maurice Denis had been guided by the recommendations contained in this book, which he had read at least in September 1885,1 and which was crucial to his growth as a Christian artist. Although he did not directly produce any images related to L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ at that time, the text had a special resonance; as he saw it as a call to meditation and fervour, and as a model of piety. The decision to illustrate the book was a natural choice.
Denis as theorist: towards a new conception of illustration
As a young artist, the question of how to decorate texts interested Denis. When, in 1890, he and his fellow Nabis worked to promote new conceptions of art, Denis also reconsidered the role of illustration. His “Definition of neo-traditionnism,” published in Art et Critique in August 1890, introduced the now-famous quotation: “Remember that a painting – before being a battle horse, a nude woman, or an anecdote of some sort – is essentially a flat surface covered with colours, put together in a certain order”2 and this soon became the manifesto of the Nabi artists. Reacting against realism, the Nabis defended painting as a subjective enterprise, in which abstract and symbolic rather than imitative colours and forms manifested an artist’s inner vision, which had the power to arouse an emotion in the viewer. In their quest for a new art, free from naturalism, they forged a new pictorial path. This quest for a modernity that differed from that taught at the Beaux-Arts, already apparent in the works of Gauguin and Émile Bernard, led these artists to simplify their forms, painting their pictures in flat planes of solid, vibrant colour, while doing almost entirely away with linear perspective. The major ambition of these young artists was to rediscover more authentic sources for their art, free of cliché and convention. The Nabis also sought to break down the boundary between craft and art, trying out their experiments in every possible medium while creating objects that were both beautiful and useful.
Among them, Denis was perhaps one of those who most expressed his interest in breaking boundaries between the various arts. In his manifesto article, he not only spells out what painting should be, but also redefines illustration, embracing a whole range of media in his new line of thought. He explains:
“When plasticity fights closely with the written word, enormities appear in the book. I dream of old missals with their rhythmic frames, the sumptuous letters of the graduations, the first woodcuts, which, in short, correspond to our literary complexity by their preciousness and delicacy. But illustration is the decoration of a book! Instead of 1° the veneer of photographic black squares on white or on type; 2° naturalistic cut-outs, randomly placed in the text; 3° other cut-outs without any research, purely manual, sometimes (oh!) with a Japanese pretext.
This decoration is not bound to the text, there is no exact correspondence between the subject and the writing, but rather an embroidery of arabesques on the pages, an accompaniment of expressive lines.”3
More than a model to be followed, these theories were rather the result of the Nabis’ pictorial experiments, which Denis describes a year and a half after the group was formed. Here Denis argues that aesthetic ideas are communicable between various disciplines. Seeking an interdependence between decoration and text, he defined the text–image relationship as a network of correspondences. Hoping to free the image from the constraints of merely transposing the text into picture, which would create a redundant doubling of the narrative, he suggested to “decorate” the page via an idealized artistic synthesis, in which the artist could speak visually through expressive lines of abstract arabesques. The image should no longer be a shadow of the written word, but rather should came to amplify and accompany the text with its own, more metaphorical and subtle expression.
First publishing attempts and first drawings
As with his work on Verlaine’s Sagesse, 4 illustrating L’Imitation was a project initiated by the painter himself. By the end of 1893, he was already working on his first compositions for the book.
To complete the project, Denis pulled from several motifs he created in previous works, such as a drawing dated 15 August 1888 (fig. 1), used for the image on page 220 (fig. 2), as well as earlier paintings. The motif for La Montée au Calvaire of 1889 appears on page 350 of the edition.5 Elsewhere we find Denis making independent but related paintings concurrently with his illustrations for L’Imitation; these can also be found in the book. Thus, he did this for Les Colombes on page 390 (fig. 3),6 and for Vue d’Assise on page 259.7 In these examples, the artist also always executed one or more drawings in graphite or ink beforehand, perhaps to better understand how they would look as black-and-white illustrations, and to adapt it to the format of the book (figs. 4, 5, 6, 7). Clearly for him, there was a great deal of interpenetration between the drawing – although it’s not clear whether it was part of the initial inspiration or whether it was done with the engraved image in mind –, the painting and then the illustration.
Denis’s work on L’Imitation was actively encouraged by his friends and artistic collaborators. As early as November 1894, most of the artist’s friends, who were also his first sponsors, wanted to take part in the project: the composer Ernest Chausson, the painter Henry Lerolle, the engineer and patron Arthur Fontaine and his wife Marie, the writer Gabriel Trarieux, the politician Adrien Mithouard, or even the critic and
fig. 1
fig. 2
fig. 5
fig. 3
fig. 4
fig. 1: Absolution, 15 August 1888, charcoal/p., 24,5 x 28,8 cm, priv. coll. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 2: Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this life, illustration by Maurice Denis for L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ (third book, chapter XX), wood engraving by the Syndicat des graveurs sur bois, Paris, A. Vollard, 1903, p. 220. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 3: Les Colombes, 1894, oil on canvas, 61 x 26 cm, Hays Collection (in the process of being donated to the musée d’Orsay, Paris, with usufruct reserved) (© CRMD/DR)
fig. 4: That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly (Fourth Book, chap. IV), study for L’Imitation de JésusChrist, 1893-1899, Indian Ink/p, 10,5 x 11,5 cm, priv. coll. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 5: That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly (Fourth Book, chap. IV), study for L’Imitation de JésusChrist, 1893-1899, watercolour/p, 12 x 12,5 cm, priv. coll. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 6: That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly (Fourth Book, chap. IV), study for L’Imitation de JésusChrist, 1893-1899, mp/calque, 10,8 x 11,5 cm, priv. coll. (© CRMD/ Olivier Goulet)
fig. 7: That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly, illustration by Maurice Denis for L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ (fourth book, chapter IV), wood engraving by the Syndicat des graveurs sur bois, Paris, A. Vollard, 1903, p. 390. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 8: Ornemental band at the head of the engravers’ table, illustration by Maurice Denis for L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ, wood engraving by the Syndicat des graveurs sur bois, Paris, A. Vollard, 1903, p. 455. (© CRMD/Olivier Goulet)
fig. 6
fig. 7
fig. 8
defender of printmaking André Mellerio. All these figures began looking for a publisher on Denis’s behalf.
At this point, though Denis was only at the early stage of iconographic research, he had already produced hundreds of sketches for the project. The great number of compositions listed in connection with L’Imitation – an exceptional group of which this catalogue presents – underlines the artist’s enthusiasm for this work. Yet above all, it was his constantly renewed interest in the textual source, its call to religious meditation, that inspired him greatly. “[H]is evenings are all filled by the illustrations for L’Imitation”.8 Denis would ultimately work on these drawings from 22 November 1893 to September 1899, as indicated by the annotation at the bottom of the illustration on page 443, corresponding to the last chapter of the edition.
Yet despite Denis’s prodigious effort and his friends’ search for a publisher, the project’s status remained uncertain. Several publishers they reached out to were concerned about the difficulties of reproducing the artist’s large number of images.9 Denis’s friends attempted to promote the work with the pre-publication of a few compositions – first in the pages of the review Le Spectateur catholique, 10 then in an article by André Mellerio devoted to new illustration in August 1897,11 and above all in L’Image, where the latter devoted a laudatory article to Denis’s initiative and reproduced six woodcuts.12 Yet all these initiatives failed to produce the hoped-for publishing deal.
Meanwhile, Denis himself took other steps to advertise the project, in particular with the Corporation of Wood Engravers, which published L’Image. At the beginning of the summer of 1897, he wrote a letter to Tony Beltrand (the manager of the magazine, and artistic director alongside Auguste Lepère and Léon Ruffe) asking for his drawings to be transposed into woodcuts. Tony Beltrand then proposed that the Corporation could engrave Denis’ compositions for L’Imitation, but the idea failed to gain momentum at that time.13
The long-awaited support: Ambroise Vollard, publisher
It was around the end of 1898 that the project finally came to fruition, thanks to the intervention of the merchant and recently publisher Ambroise Vollard, who Denis had apparently approached. This was an unusual project for Vollard, for a few reasons. The book’s illustration in black and white was not to the typical taste of the publisher, whose attraction to colour was well known. A black-and-white book would be an outlier among Vollard’s other project with Denis at the same time, the large colour prints of the 1899 Amour suite, as well as Vollard’s other book projects in lithograph (Verlaine’s Parallèlement by Bonnard, Mirbeau’s Jardin des Supplices by Rodin, Longus’ Daphnis
et Chloé by Bonnard). Yet in his memoirs, Vollard clearly explains the reasons that led him to publishing L’Imitation:
“Like Parallèlement, Daphnis was a mediocre success at the time: these two works were criticized in particular for being illustrated with lithographs; at that time, the only form of illustration that bibliophiles appreciated was wood engraving. I said to myself, since bibliophiles only accept woodcuts, why shouldn’t I give them woodcuts?
So I did, publishing an Imitation of Christ, for which Maurice Denis created the beautiful series we know today.”14
Critics and especially bibliophiles had complained that Vollard’s previous works for not respecting the “rules” of traditional book publishing. Now Vollard, hoping for a more popular success, endeavoured to adhere strictly to the precept of the publisher Édouard Pelletan: “A book, it is black on white”.15 What’s more, compared to the relatively obscure collections of poetry that he was publishing at the time, L’Imitation was a widely known book and accepted by all. Denis’s edition of L’Imitation was thus the perfect opportunity for Vollard to both satisfy his bibliophile critics and garner a wider audience.
From drawing to print: the woodcut interpretations
Although Vollard was the official manager of the publication, it was Tony Beltrand who supervised all the engraving and printing with Denis, as the ornamental band at the head of the engravers’ table in the book showing the two men at work reminds us (fig. 8). In particular, Beltrand organised the production of the work: he asked Denis to classify his drawings in a very precise order, as can be seen from the surviving preparatory sketches, which retain traces of the numbering of chapters or extracts from the text (see for example Cat. 18). This numbering allowed Beltrand to distribute the batches of drawings to different engravers, allowing for “a quality interpretation” and a more perfect and harmonious work.16 Ultimately, two series of drawings were made: the first are finished images designed for engraving, acquired by the bibliophile and patron Gabriel Thomas and now held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France;17 the second are the initial preparatory sheets that reveal the artist’s hand, sensitivity, and process.
Nearly eighty engravers worked on the book as listed in the appendix. Each of the compositions produced in Beltrand’s workshop is the result of a joint effort by these workers.18 Their transpositions of the drawings into wood were of great concern to Denis, who hoped to avoid discordant interpretations of his black-and-white illustrations, which had a lithograph-like appearance. Yet the engravers so skilfully and uniformly rendered the variety and subtlety of the artist’s black shades that the results actually look like lithographs.
Though Beltrand hoped to complete the engravings in a single year, the project was delayed – understandably so, given the quantity of illustrations and the extreme care taken to respect Denis’s original drawings. The woodcuts were engraved between January 1900 and the end of 1902, while the text and images were printed by the Imprimerie Nationale from 1901. The two hundred and sixteen illustrations are all in black and white, becoming brighter throughout the book, visually conveying the reader’s gradual rapprochement with Christ. The one hundred and fourteen larger compositions follow the same format throughout: square and framed in black. At Denis’s request, they appear at the head of each chapter, recalling the layout of old books of piety. These are accompanied by headbands, fleurons and a large number of culs-de-lampe, designed when the large illustrations were engraved.
The book was not a critical success when it came out in January 1903, and it was even more of a commercial failure: bibliophiles still did not accept Vollard’s editions, and indeed refused to think of him as a legitimate publisher.19 One of the few words of praise came from Henry Cochin, Denis’s friend, who was eager to see the book published. The literary Cochin wrote to Denis that the work, which harmonized the latter’s admirable aesthetic with his Christian thought, was “a perfect joy”, and would be “a subject of meditation for many years.20
Graphic prints expressing a mystical symbolism
Illustration is one of the areas in which the continuity of Denis’s work is most apparent. The small format of L’Imitation illustrations and the book’s intimate setting invite the artist, and then the reader, to quiet contemplation. By conceiving his illustrations as evocations and meditative aids, Denis graphically uncovers the text’s spiritual content, expressing the invisible.
The selection of drawings presented here is an exceptional group, remarkable not only for their freshness and quality, but also for how they epitomise the artist’s religious vocation. These preparatory graphic compositions bear striking witness to Denis’s efforts to transpose an interior meditation onto the surface of a paper sheet.
L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ may not have found its audience in 1903, but today, historians of both art and literature find in it an exemplary demonstration of Denis’s mystical symbolism, delicately manifesting the “geography of an inner exploration.21
Endnotes
1. 25 September 1885: “I am looking for something to read, something convenient to take with me, something interesting and moral? Well, I’ll take L’Imitation.” (« Je cherche de quoi lire, de commode à emporter, d’intéressant et de moral ? Eh bien, je prendrai L’Imitation » in Maurice Denis, Journal , vol. I, 1884-1904, Paris, La Colombe, 1957, p. 54).
2. « Se rappeler qu’un tableau – avant d’être un cheval de bataille, une femme nue, ou une quelconque anecdote – est essentiellement une surface plane recouverte de couleurs en un certain ordre assemblées. » in Pierre Louis [Maurice Denis], « Notes d’Art. Définition du néotraditionnisme », Art et critique, 2nd year, no. 65, 23 August 1890, p. 540.
3. « Quand la plastique lutte de près avec l’écriture, dans le livre apparaissent les énormités. Je rêve d’anciens missels aux encadrements rythmiques, des lettres fastueuses de graduels, des premières gravures sur bois – qui correspondent en somme à notre complexité littéraire par des préciosités et des délicatesses. Mais l’illustration, c’est la décoration d’un livre ! au lieu : 1° du placage de carrés noirs d’aspect photographique sur le blanc ou sur l’écriture; 2° de découpures naturalistes, au hasard dans le texte ; 3° d’autres découpures sans aucune recherche, de pures habiletés de main, parfois (oh !) à prétexte japonais. Trouver cette décoration sans servitude du texte, sans exacte correspondance de sujet avec l’écriture ; mais plutôt une broderie d’arabesques sur les pages, un accompagnement de lignes expressives. » in Pierre Louis [Maurice Denis], « Notes d’Art. Définition du néo-traditionnisme », Art et critique, 2nd year, no. 66, 30 August 1890, p. 557.
4. For the difficulties in getting Sagesse published, see Clémence Gaboriau, Maurice Denis (1870-1943) illustrateur. Pratique d’un artiste du livre, acteurs et réseaux, PhD thesis in art history, supervised by Professor Marianne Grivel, Sorbonne University, Paris, 2023, in particular pp. 68-77; 79-85; 170-178.
5. La Montée au Calvaire, November 1889, oil on canvas, 41 x 33 cm, Paris, musée d’Orsay, inv. RF 1986 68.
6. Les Colombes, 1894, oil on canvas, 61 x 26 cm, Hays Collection (in the process of being donated to the musée d’Orsay, Paris, with usufruct reserved).
7. Vue d’Assise, 1895, oil on canvas, 46 x 60 cm, priv. coll.
8. « Mes soirées sont toutes prises par les images pour L’Imitation », in Maurice Denis to André Gide, 11 January 1895, in Maurice Denis, André Gide, Correspondance Maurice Denis – André Gide (18921945), eds. Pierre Masson and Carina Schäfer, Paris, Gallimard, 2006 (Les Cahiers de la NRF), no. 53, p. 112.
9. See Clémence Gaboriau, Maurice Denis (1870-1943) illustrateur. Pratique d’un artiste du livre, acteurs et réseaux, PhD thesis in art history, supervised by Professor Marianne Grivel, Sorbonne University, Paris, 2023, in particular pp. 153-158.
10. Maurice Denis, « LI du Livre III de L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ illustré », Le Spectateur Catholique, no. 4, April 1897, pp. 169-174. Reproduced as an offprint: « Quod humilibus insistendum est operibus, cum deficitur a summis », copperplate engraving after Maurice Denis (illustration for Book III, chapter LI de L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ), Paris, Au « Spectateur Catholique », 1897.
11. André Mellerio, « L’illustration nouvelle », L’Estampe et l’affiche, 15 August 1897, no. 6, pp. 155- 159.
12. André Mellerio, « Une Illustration pour L’Imitation de JésusChrist », L’Image, September 1897, no. 10, pp. 305-310.
13. Tony Beltrand to Maurice Denis, undated [End of 1897-Early 1898], Saint-Germain-en-Laye, musée départemental Maurice-Denis, Ms 12932.
14. « De même que Parallèlement, Daphnis n’eût, à l’époque, qu’un médiocre succès : on reprochait à ces deux ouvrages, notamment, d’être illustrés par la lithographie ; le seul mode d’illustration apprécié par les bibliophiles d’alors était la gravure. Puisque les bibliophiles n’admettent que les bois, me dis-je, pourquoi ne leur donnerais-je pas des bois ? Ce que je fis en éditant une Imitation de Jésus-Christ pour laquelle Maurice Denis fit la belle série de compositions que l’on connaît. », in Ambroise Vollard, Souvenirs d’un marchand de tableaux, Paris, Albin Michel, 1937, p. 307.
15. « Un livre c’est du noir sur du blanc », in Édouard Pelletan, Deuxième lettre aux bibliophiles : du texte et du caractère typographique, Paris, É . Pelletan, 1896, p. 13.
16. Tony Beltrand to Maurice Denis, 9 January 1899, Saint-Germainen-Laye, musée départemental Maurice-Denis, Ms 12930.
17. Maurice Denis, L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ, factice copy including the original drawings for the engraving, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Réserve des livres rares, D-3406.
18. Besides, Beltrand had told Denis from the start of their negotiations that it was in his “corporate interest for this book to be one of the finest books of the century”. (Tony Beltrand to Maurice Denis, 9 January 1899, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, musée départemental Maurice-Denis, Ms 12930).
19. “Despite the concessions I had made to bibliophiles by abandoning lithography for woodprint, neither of these two books [L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ et Sagesse] fou nd favour with them.” (« Malgré les concessions que j’avais faites aux bibliophiles en abandonnant la lithographie pour le bois, aucun de ces deux livres [L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ et Sagesse] ne trouva grâce devant eux. »), in Ambroise Vollard, Souvenirs d’un marchand de tableaux, Paris, Albin Michel, 1937, p. 307).
20. « Votre Imitation est pour moi une joie parfaite. Elle me sera un sujet de méditation pendant des années », in Henry Cochin to Maurice Denis, undated [January 1903], Saint-Germain-en-Laye, musée départemental Maurice-Denis, Ms 2457.
21. François Chapon, Le Peintre et le Livre : l’âge d’or du livre illustré en France (1870-1970), Paris, Flammarion, 1987, p. 69.
1 De l’imitation de Jésus-Christ et du mépris de toutes les vanités du monde
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter I (p. 3)
Black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner Livre 1r / Ch 1; in black ink at the top of the drawing Qu’il faut imiter Jésus Christ / et mépriser les vanités du monde ; in pencil at the bottom right I
Size 169 x 145 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
For the illustration of the first chapter of L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ, Maurice Denis introduces Christ seen from the back walking along an avenue of pillars with capitals, perhaps evoking the nave of a church. With his halo, visually transcribed by the artist with the blank light of the paper, Jesus illuminates the path and leads the faithful towards the kingdom of heaven. In this way, Denis highlights the first words of God in the book: “He who follows me does not walk in darkness”. Just as the divine word exhorts the faithful to meditate on the example of Christ, this introductory illustration invites the reader to visually follow the figure of Christ, with rigor and humility, according to the precepts of L’Imitation, in order to “turn to the side of the invisible” and hope to obtain “the grace of God”.
The artist seems to have quickly landed upon this motif for the composition, since the final woodcut faithfully reproduces the features of this single known preparatory drawing.
First Book, Chapter 1
Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanities
1. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, saith the Lord . These are the words of Christ; and they teach us how far we must imitate His life and character, if we seek true illumination, and deliverance from all blindness of heart. Let it be our most earnest study, therefore, to dwell upon the life of Jesus Christ.
2. […] He, therefore, that will fully and with true wisdom understand the words of Christ, let him strive to conform his whole life to that mind of Christ.
3. […] Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, save to love God, and Him only to serve. That is the highest wisdom, to cast the world behind us, and to reach forward to the heavenly kingdom. […]
5. […] Strive, therefore, to turn away thy heart from the love of the things that are seen, and to set it upon the things that are not seen. For they who follow after their own fleshly lusts, defile the conscience, and destroy the grace of God.
2
Qu’il faut résister aux tentations
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XIII (p. 36)
Black ink on wove thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner Ch. 13; at the top of the drawing De la résistance aux tentations; in the lower right corner XIII
Size 168 x 141 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut penser à la misère des hommes
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XXII
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 183 x 157 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
4
Du jugement et des peines des pêcheurs
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XXIV (p. 81)
Brown and black ink and pencil on wove thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink and pencil in the upper left corner ch. 24 ; at the top of the drawing Du jugement de Dieu et des peines / des pécheurs; on the back, in pencil D.D livre 1 XXIV
Size 160 x 149 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
5
Qu’il faut aimer Jésus-Christ plus que toutes choses
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter VII
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 192 x 180 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, Denis executed a variation of the same subject and in the same medium, but the composition is reversed: Christ is on the left and standing. This composition should originally be the big illustration of the chapter VII of the second book (“Of loving Jesus above all things”), but Denis finally chose to only use the motif of the two dogs jumping as a cul-de-lampe on page 120.
6
De la privation de toute consolation
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter IX
Black and brown ink, charcoal on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in red pencil in the upper left corner Ch. IX; in pencil at the top of the drawing De la privation de toute / consolation; in black ink to the right of the drawing les mains / jointes Size 167 x 143 mm
Exhibition Maurice Denis, 1870-1943, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 29 September-18 December 1994; Cologne, WallrafRichartz Museum, 22 January-2 April 1995; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, 21 April-18 June 1995; Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 7 July-17 September 1995), n° 292 (under the title Les mains jointes) (ill. p. 352 of the French catalogue).
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
7
De la reconnaissance due à Dieu pour ses grâces
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter X (p. 131)
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 195 x 171 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
The final picture is reversed.
8
De la reconnaissance due à Dieu pour ses grâces
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter X
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 200 x 161 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
If this composition isn’t used for the second book, chapter X, as originally intended, the motif of the kneeling figure with arms outstretched towards the sky is eventually printed as a cul-de-lampe for the third chapter of the first book “Of the knowledge of truth” on page 13.
9 De la conversation intérieure de Jésus-Christ avec l’âme fidèle
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter I (p. 149)
Brown ink on wove paper, ca 1893-1897
Inscribed in black ink at the top of the drawing Les entretiens int rs de J-C ; in pencil in the lower right corner I; on the back, in pencil l.3.ch I o
Size 185 x 162 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
In the chapter titled “Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soul”, Maurice Denis presents the intimate and deeply symbolic vision of a conversation between Jesus and the believer, their heads leaning against each other in front of a dark background resembling a halo. The devotee, almost fainting, in a second state of meditation, has his eyes closed and his hand resting gently on his chest. Here, prayer, understood as a personal conversation with the Holy Spirit, allows the faithful to come as close as possible to God “when he speaks to them inwardly”.
The artist had not originally chosen this subject for his illustration. He wanted to depict Christ in the familiar garden setting of the house to which his parents moved in the summer of 1897, at 5 rue de Mantes in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, as shown in a very elaborate annotated preparatory drawing (see Cat. 35). However, Maurice Denis eventually changed his mind and returned to this motif, derived from an earlier lithograph, Tendresse ou Madeleine (deux têtes), published in the first album of L’Estampe originale in 1893. The effusion of obvious intimacy shown
by the two figures is also reminiscent of an early depiction of the budding relationship between the artist and his future wife, Marthe, then young lovers, in the painter’s studio (Encore que mes lèvres soient blondes…, December 1890, oil on card, priv. coll.). Here again, in Denis’s work, love, whether mystical or carnal, enters his visual repertoire.
Third Book, Chapter I
Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soul 1. I will hearken what the Lord God shall say within me.1 Blessed is the soul which heareth the Lord speaking within it, and receiveth the word of consolation from His mouth. Blessed are the ears which receive the echoes of the soft whisper of God, and turn not aside to the whisperings of this world. Blessed truly are the ears which listen not to the voice that soundeth without, but to that which teacheth truth inwardly. Blessed are the eyes which are closed to things without, but are fixed upon things within.
[…]
Think on these things, O my soul, and shut the doors of thy carnal desires, so mayest thou hear what the Lord God will say within thee. […]
1. Psalm LXXXV. 8.
10
Qu’il faut cacher la grâce sous la garde de l’humilité
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter VII (p. 175)
Black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner VII; at the top of the drawing Qu’il faut cacher humblement / les graces que Dieu nous fait ; in the lower right corner in pencil VII
Size 168 x 143 mm
Exhibition Maurice Denis, 1870-1943, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 29 September-18 December 1994; Cologne, WallrafRichartz Museum, 22 January-2 April 1995; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, 21 April-18 June 1995; Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 7 July-17 September 1995), n° 294 (ill. p. 352 of the French catalogue)
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
11
Qu’il faut s’exercer à la patience et à combattre les concupiscences
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XII (p. 193)
Pencil and charcoal on card paper, 1893-1899
Size 182 x 150 mm
Exhibition Maurice Denis, 1870-1943, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 29 September-18 December 1994; Cologne, WallrafRichartz Museum, 22 January-2 April 1995; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, 21 April-18 June 1995; Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 7 July-17 September 1995), n° 295 (ill. p. 352 of the French catalogue).
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut mettre en Dieu seul tous ses soins
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XVII
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 183 x 153 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut souffrir les injures
; et des marques de la véritable patience
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XIX (p. 216)
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed on the back in pencil A Dominique D
Size 168 x 144 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, Denis designed a study in pencil for the illustration of the first book, chapter IX “Of obedience and subjection” used on the page 25 of the Vollard edition.
14
Des quatre choses importantes qui donnent une paix solide
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XXIII (p. 233)
Black ink on paper, ca 1893
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner ch XXIII; in black ink at the top of the drawing Des quatre choses importantes / pour connaître la paix ; in black ink at the bottom of the drawing rameau d’olivier
Size 166 x 149 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
In this preparatory drawing for the illustration of the chapter devoted to peace and its causes, Maurice Denis develops the motif of a female figure with eyes closed in meditation. Placed in front of a forest of thin tree trunks and white figures, she seems disinterested in the happenings of the outside world, the better to find herself “in the path of peace and rest” and to achieve “enlightenment of the spirit”.
Although this India ink sketch is very close to the final illustration, an annotation at the bottom of the drawing indicates that the artist had apparently initially intended to include an olive branch, as a symbol of peace, in his composition. In the published illustration, perhaps to make the inner peace brought about by prayer more perceptible, Denis adds a book bearing the Latin inscription “Pax Vobis” (“Peace be with you”) in the young woman’s hands, and her hair is veiled in a nun’s headdress. In addition, the angelic figures between the trees take on greater importance, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is manifested visually by a luminous halo in the canopy at the top left. In addition to this illustration-sized drawing, there is an initial rough sketch (private collection), showing only a profile against an indistinct background, and another study in graphite (private collection), where the young woman clearly has the features of Marthe Meurier, Denis’s future wife. The latter drawing was executed on the back of a sketch for an illustration
of Le Voyage d’Urien, confirming that this composition was designed around 1893. It is thus thought to be one of Denis’s first studies for the illustration of L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ. This motif also gave rise to a small painted sketch (not located).
Third Book, Chapter XXIII
Of four things which bring great peace
1. “My Son, now will I teach thee the way of peace and of true liberty.”
2. Do, O my Lord, as Thou sayest, for this is pleasing unto me to hear.
3. “Strive, My Son, to do another’s will rather than thine own. Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek always after the lowest place, and to be subject to all. Wish always and pray that the will of God be fulfilled in thee. Behold, such a man as this entereth into the inheritance of peace and quietness.”
[…] A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE MIND
8. Enlighten me, Blessed Jesus, with the brightness of Thy inner light, and cast forth all darkness from the habitation of my heart. Restrain my many wandering thoughts, and carry away the temptations which strive to do me hurt. Fight Thou mightily for me, and drive forth the evil beasts, so call I alluring lusts, that peace may be within Thy walls and plenteousness of praise within Thy palaces,1 even in my pure conscience. Command Thou the winds and the storms, say unto the sea, “Be still,” say unto the stormy wind, “Hold thy peace,” so shall there be a great calm. […]
1. Psalm CXXII. 7.
15
Qu’il faut renoncer à soi-même et à toute cupidité
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XXXII
Black ink and pencil on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the lower left corner l 1 ch XVIII o Size 167 x 142 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, Denis drew a study in black ink for the first book, chapter XVIII “Of the example of the holy fathers” (p. 51 of the Vollard edition). The sheet is inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner ch 18, in black ink at the top of the drawing De l’exemple des Saints and in pencil in the lower right corner XVIII o.
Qu’il faut renoncer à soi-même et à toute cupidité
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XXXII
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 182 x 171 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
17
Qu’il faut se donner entièrement à Dieu pour obtenir la liberté du cœur
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XXXVII
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing Qu’il faut renoncer entièrement a soi / même pour obtenir la liberté du cœur ; on the back, in pencil in the lower left corner DD, l 3, ch XXXVII o Size 161 x 143 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
18 Du jour de l’éternité et des misères de cette vie
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XLVIII (p. 313)
Brown and black ink on wove thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner XLVIII; at the top of the drawing De l’éternité bienheureuse et des / misères de cette vie; in pencil in the lower right corner XLVIII
Size 165 x 143 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
19 Que la grâce de Dieu ne se trouve point dans ceux qui ont du goût pour les choses de la terre
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter LIII (p. 336)
Brown and black ink on wove thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner Ch. LIII; in black ink at the top of the drawing Que la Grâce ne fructifie pas en / ceux qui ont le goût des choses / de la terre ; in pencil in the lower right corner LIII; on the back, in pencil L3 ch. LIII o Size 170 x 145 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
20 Qu’il ne faut pas vouloir approfondir les choses d’en haut et les secrets jugements de Dieu
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter LVIII (p. 357)
Black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner LVIII; in black ink on the top of the drawing Qu’on ne doit pas chercher à pénétrer / ce qui est au dessus de nous; in pencil in the lower right corner LVII; on the back in pencil l.3 ch. LVIII o
Size 158 x 154 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
This sketch for the illustration of Book 3, chapter LVIII of L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ depicts small figures walking along a road, which winds and tapers through tall trees into a deep background. The path is bordered on either side by a high wall, forming an enclosed space in the landscape that protects the figures from the outside world as much as it guides them along a single way, towards a horizon where sky and earth intermingle.
The subject of a path running through the trees, a recurring motif in Maurice Denis’s work, symbolises the course of life, and particularly the soul’s ascent to God. Here, figures in search of their destiny must “humiliate themselves willingly with the little ones” and walk with God throughout their lives if they hope to reach the kingdom of heaven.
The musée départemental Maurice-Denis in SaintGermain-en-Laye holds a painting with the same motif (inv. PMD 976.1.53).
Third Book, Chapter LVIII
Of deeper matters, and God’s hidden judgments which are not to be inquired into […]
3. “Some are drawn by zeal of love to greater affection to these Saints or those; but this is human affection rather than divine. I am He Who made all the Saints: I gave them grace, I brought them glory; I know the merits of every one; I prevented them with the blessings of My goodness 1 I foreknew my beloved ones from everlasting, I chose them out of the world; 2 they did not choose Me. I called them by My grace, drew them by My mercy, led them on through sundry temptations. I poured mighty consolations upon them, I gave them perseverance, I crowned their patience. […]
7. “Take heed, therefore, My son, that thou treat not curiously those things which surpass thy knowledge, but
rather make this thy business and give attention to it, namely, that thou seek to be found, even though it be the least, in the Kingdom of God. And even if any one should know who were holier than others, or who were held greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven; what should that knowledge profit him, unless through this knowledge he should humble himself before Me, and should rise up to give greater praise unto My name? He who considereth how great are his own sins, how small his virtues, and how far he is removed from the perfection of the Saints, doeth far more acceptably in the sight of God, than he who disputeth about their greatness or littleness.
[…]
9. “Many ask who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, who know not whether they shall be worthy to be counted among the least. It is a great thing to be even the least in Heaven, where all are great, because all shall be called, and shall be, the sons of God. A little one shall become a thousand, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. For when the disciples asked who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, they received no other answer than this, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same shall be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” 3
10. Woe unto them who disdain to humble themselves willingly with the little children; for the low gate of the kingdom of Heaven will not suffer them to enter in. Woe also to them who are rich, who have their consolation here; 4 because whilst the poor enter into the kingdom of God, they shall stand lamenting without. Rejoice ye humble, and exult ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God if only ye walk in the truth
1. Psalm XXI. 3.
2. John XV. 19.
3. Matthew XVIII. 3.
4. Luke vi. 24.
21
Que nous devons nous offrir à Dieu avec tout ce qui est à nous et prier pour tous
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter IX (p. 408)
Black pencil and charcoal on wove paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing Que nous devons nous offrir a / Dieu et prier pour tous Size 178 x 150 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
22 Que nous devons nous offrir à Dieu avec tout ce qui est à nous et prier pour tous
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter IX
Pencil and charcoal on card paper, 1893-1899
Size 174 x 150 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
23 Que celui qui doit
recevoir
Jésus-Christ est obligé de se préparer avec un grand soin
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter XII (p. 423)
Black ink on thin paper, ca 1895
Inscribed in black ink at the top of the drawing Qu’on doit se préparer avec / grand soin à la Communion; in pencil in the lower right corner XII; on the back in pencil on the lower left corner l 4 ch. XII o
Size 181 x 144 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
In this preparatory drawing for the illustration of the chapter “That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligence” (Book IV, chap. XII), Maurice Denis revisits the theme of the Resurrection. This subject, so dear to the artist, reappears frequently in his œuvre, especially in the years 1894-1895.
It is therefore not surprising that the motif of this illustration is taken from a pre-existing composition, executed in 1895, of which Maurice Denis proposed a variation in square format (Noli me tangere, stained glass project, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, musée départemental Maurice-Denis, inv. PMD 976.1.109). The encounter between Mary Magdalene and Christ, based on the painting Matinée de Pâques (1894, SaintGermain-en-Laye, musée départemental MauriceDenis, inv. PMD 976.1.107), is set in a garden around a flowering shrub, symbolizing the nature’s renewal in spring. Above them, a banner echoes Jesus’s words “Noli me tangere ” (“Do not touch me”) as recorded in the Gospel (John 20:17). The scene is divided into two registers: the upper part of the composition shows the divine apparition; while the lower part is animated by holy women – or nuns – dressed in characteristic black and devoutly witnessing the miracle.
In the drawing, the luminous halo surrounding Christ and illuminating the right-hand side of the composition is depicted with a network of fine lines emanating from the figure. This strong sense of light, which counterbalances a preponderance of ornamental motifs on the left side of the work, gives the scene an unreal quality and emphasises the image’s spiritual content.
For this illustration, the artist initially thought to depict a mystical fountain with drinking doves, as can be seen from a note on another preparatory drawing for L’Imitation (private collection); this latter motif was ultimately used for another chapter of the book dedicated to the Eucharist, “That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly” (Book IV, chap. IV, p. 390).
Fourth Book, Chapter XII
That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligence
[…]
2. […] But out of My tenderness and grace alone art thou permitted to draw nigh unto My table; as though a beggar were called to a rich man’s dinner, and had no other recompense to offer him for the benefits done unto him, but to humble himself and to give him thanks. Do therefore as much as lieth in thee, and do it diligently, not of custom, nor of necessity, but with fear, reverence, and affection, receive the Body of thy beloved Lord God, who vouchsafeth to come unto thee. I am He who hath called thee; I commanded it to be done; I will supply what is lacking to thee; come and receive Me.
3. […] Nor dost thou come to sanctify Me, but I come to sanctify thee and make thee better. Thou comest that thou mayest be sanctified by Me, and be united to Me; that thou mayest receive fresh grace, and be kindled anew to amendment of life. See that thou neglect not this grace, but prepare thy heart with all diligence, and receive thy Beloved unto thee.
4. […] I am He to whom thou oughtest wholly to give thyself; so that now thou mayest live not wholly in thyself, but in Me, free from all anxiety.
24 Que l’âme dévote doit désirer de tout son cœur de s’unir à Jésus-Christ dans le sacrement
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter XIII (p. 427)
Pencil on wove paper, ca 1897
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing du désir ardent de recevoir J.C.; in pencil in the lower right corner XIII; on the back, in pencil at the bottom l. 4 ch. XIII o Size 130 x 105 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
This brief sketch for the illustration designed to accompany the chapter on the “ardent desire to receive J[esus]-C[hrist]” already demonstrates a full conception of the ultimate composition. Within a narrow frame, two figures are depicted in profile. The one on the left, surrounded by a halo, kisses with the tip of her lips the forehead of a communicant to the right, who leans forward on a prie-dieu. The luminous halo emanating from the divine figure radiates over the rest of the composition through small touches of pencil, enlivening this otherwise spare image. This symbolic kiss conveys the mystical atmosphere of the faithful’s union with Christ and their enlightenment through prayer and devotion.
This spiritual image had a particular resonance for the artist, who associated it with an episode in his personal life. Shortly before the publication of L’Imitation de JésusChrist in 1899, Maurice Denis had produced a series of lithographs, Amour, devoted entirely to his love for his wife, Marthe. Drawing on intimate notes from his diary of 1891-1893, the artist poetically depicts various high points of their romantic life, including their first kiss. A work from that series, Ce fut un religieux mystère (It was a religious mystery), features a composition similar to that of the present illustration. The print studies God’s deep love as a powerful bond between the future spouses, who felt “filled with the presence of God” and exchanged the kiss that sealed their love and united them “forever” (Maurice Denis, Journal (1884-
1904), t. I, Paris, La Colombe, 1957, p. 88). As such, the carnal outpouring resonates with the divine mystery.
Fourth Book, Chapter XIII
That the devout soul ought with the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the Sacrament
[…]
1. Who shall grant unto me, O Lord, that I may find Thee alone, and open all my heart unto Thee, and enjoy Thee as much as my soul desireth; and that no man may henceforth look upon me, nor any creature move me or have respect unto me, but Thou alone speak unto me and I unto Thee, even as beloved is wont to speak unto beloved, and friend to feast with friend? For this do I pray, this do I long for, that I may be wholly united unto Thee, and may withdraw my heart from all created things, and by means of Holy Communion and frequent celebration may learn more and more to relish heavenly and eternal things. Ah, Lord God, when shall I be entirely united and lost in Thee, and altogether forgetful of myself? Thou in me, and I in Thee; 1 even so grant that we may in like manner continue together in one. […]
3. […] There is nothing which I am able to present more acceptable than to give my heart altogether unto God, and to join it inwardly to Him. Then all my inward parts shall rejoice, when my soul shall be perfectly united unto God. Then shall He say unto me, “If thou wilt be with Me, I will be with thee.” And I will answer Him, “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to abide with me, I will gladly be with Thee; this is my whole desire, even that my heart be united unto Thee.”
1. John xv. 4
25 Qu’on obtient la grâce de la dévotion par l’humilité et en renonçant à soi-même
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter XV
Pencil and charcoal on card paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing De la Size 176 x 158 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
26
Avec quel ardent amour et quelle ferveur on doit recevoir Jésus-Christ
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter XVII (p. 439)
Black ink on wove thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink at the top of the drawing Du désir ardent
Size 163 x 138 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; thence by descent, France
Eighteen Additional Drawings
Qu’il faut prendre garde à ne point trop parler
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter X (p. 27)
Pencil and brown ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner ch 10; in brown ink, at the top of the drawing qu’il faut éviter les entretiens / inutiles
Size 158 x 148 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Comment on peut acquérir la paix et s’avancer dans le chemin de la vertu
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XI
Pencil and black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner ch. II; in pencil at the top of the drawing Des moyens d’acquerir la paix / interieure
Size 167 x 143 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Que les adversités sont utiles
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XII (p. 34)
Charcoal and pencil on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 178 x 168 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut penser à la misère des hommes
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XXII (p. 70)
Black ink on wove paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink at the top of the drawing De la considération des misères humaines; in pencil in the lower right corner XXII
Size 167 x 145 mm
Exhibition Maurice Denis, 1870-1943, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 29 September-18 December 1994; Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, 22 January-2 April 1995; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, 21 April-18 June 1995; Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 7 July-17 September 1995), n° 290) (ill. p. 352 of the French catalogue).
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut désirer ardemment de se corriger
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XXV
Pencil and charcoal on paper, 1893-1899
Size 178 x 164 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il faut désirer ardemment de se corriger
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the first book, chapter XXV
Pencil and charcoal on paper, 1893-1899
Size 167 x 147 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
De la pureté du cœur et de la simplicité d’intention
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter IV (p. 108)
Pencil, brown and black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in red pencil in the upper left corner IV; in black ink at the top of the drawing de la pureté d’intention; on the back in pencil DD Liv. II CH IV
Size 154 x 139 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, Denis executed a rough sketch of the same subject in black ink, but the composition is reversed: the figures are arranged from the right to the left.
Du chemin royal de la Sainte Croix
Preparatory drawing for the illustration of the second book, chapter XII (p. 139)
Black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in red pencil in the upper left corner ch. XII; in black ink at the top of the drawing De la voix royale de la / Croix; in pencil in the lower right corner XII; on the back in pencil in the lower left corner l. 2, Ch. XII o
Size 166 x 138 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
De
la conversation
intérieure de Jésus-Christ avec l’âme fidèle
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter I
Pencil and charcoal on paper, ca 1897-1899
Inscribed in pencil in the upper right corner qu’il fa. examiner et modérer / les désirs du cœur; in charcoal at the top of the drawing Des entretiens intérieurs de J-C / avec l’âme fidèle
Size 189 x 170 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Que
la vérité nous parle intérieurement sans vain bruit de paroles
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter II
Pencil and black chalk on card paper, 1893-1899
Size 165 x 140 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
De l’obéissance d’un serviteur humble suivant l’exemple de Jésus-Christ
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XIII
Pencil, brown and black wash heightened with white chalk, 1893-1899
Size 161 x 165 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
De quelle manière on doit se comporter, et ce qu’on doit dire au sujet de toutes les choses désirables
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XV
Black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner Ch. XV; in pencil and black ink at the top of the drawing De ce qu’il faut dire et faire / quand il s’élève quelque désir en nous
Size 166 x 143 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back of the sheet, Denis drew a rough sketch in pencil of a woman’s silhouette for La Dame au jardin clos, which is his wife, Marthe’s, first nude, painted in 1894 (Paris, musée d’Orsay, inv. RF 2012 10).
Qu’il faut renoncer à soi-même et à toute cupidité
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XXXII
Ink wash, charcoal and pencil on blueish wove paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing De l’abnegation de soi meme
Size 182 x 158 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
The reverse shows a pencil sketch for the illustration of chapter LIX of the third book “That we must put our hope and all our trust in God alone”. This small calvary overlooking the sea was also depicted in an oil on canvas painted around 1897 (priv. coll.).
Du mépris de tous les honneurs temporels
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XLI
Pencil and black ink on thin paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink in the upper left corner XLI; in pencil and black ink at the top of the drawing Du mépris de tous les honneurs / du temps; on the back, a pencil scheme
Size 165 x 140 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Qu’il ne faut pas attendre sa paix des hommes
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XLII
Charcoal and pencil on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 170 x 161 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, Denis sketched three preparatory drawing of the same subjet: a Christ with childs, which is eventually used for the illustration for the third book, chapter XXIV, “Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of another” (p. 237 of the Vollard edition).
Qu’il ne faut pas attendre sa paix des hommes
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the third book, chapter XLII
Pencil and charcoal on paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in pencil at the top of the drawing Qu’il ne faut pas que notre paix
Size 201 x 151 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Que nous devons nous offrir à Dieu avec tout ce qui est à nous et prier pour tous
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter IX
Charcoal and pencil on wove paper, 1893-1899
Size 178 x 154 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
Que l’homme ne doit point vouloir, par curiosité, approfondir le sacrement, mais imiter humblement Jésus-Christ en soumettant ses sens à la foi
Alternative preparatory drawing for the illustration of the fourth book, chapter XVIII
Pencil and black chalk on card paper, 1893-1899
Inscribed in black ink at the top of the drawing Qu’on ne doit pas chercher à pénétrer / l’arbre de la foi / le mouton. la signature du peintre; in pencil at the top of the drawing mais pas celui qui est fait
Size 172 x 156 mm
Provenance The artist’s studio, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; his son, Dominique Denis, Saint-Germainen-Laye; thence by descent, France
On the back, a handwritten list serves Denis as an aidememoire for his illustration work: it lists the titles of around twenty chapters, to which are sometimes added a few iconographic elements (“Procession”, “Burning Bush”, “Pigeons”, etc.). Each line corresponding to a completed illustration is preceded by a cross.
Essay and Entries
Clémence Gaboriau
Design
Tia Džamonja
Editing
Eric Gillis, Catherine Gimonnet, Noémie Goldman & Andrew Shea
Scans & Photographs
Catalogue raisonné Maurice Denis / Olivier Goulet
Special thanks to (by alphabetical order) L’arbre à cadres, Claire Denis, Clémence Gaboriau & Fabienne Stahl.
HR Pictures of the additional drawings can be sent on request.
The English translation of L’Imitation de Jésus-Christ is by William Benham (1831-1910) and taken from the Online Gutenberg Project.
© Agnews – March 2025
