1

Henry Somm is a fascinating figure on the fringes of Impressionism. He took part in the Impressionist Exhibitions of 1879 and 1889, both at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris, but he was a kind of fellow-traveller of the Impressionist movement rather than an integral part of it. Probably he is best categorized as a transitional figure between Impressionism and Symbolism, but he is one of those intriguing and ultimately enigmatic figures who don't really fit into any neat category. A famous drypoint portrait of Henry Somm by his friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec shows a bearded man with a kindly face and a twinkle in his eyes, but an air nevertheless of impenetrability. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henry Somm Drypoint, 1898 Reproduced from Adriani, Toulouse-Lautrec The Complete Graphic Works Toulouse-Lautrec and Somm knew each other as habitu�es of seedy Montmartre dives such as Le Chat Noir or the gay and lesbian hang-out Le Rat Mort (whose menu was illustrated by Somm). They were also

This is one of my favourite Joan Mir� lithographs, mostly because of the strength of the image with its vivid colour and lively composition, but also because of its hilarious title. It was created in 1952 in atelier Mourlot for the art revue Verve, published by T�riade. The double issue in which it appeared (no. 27-28) is one of the most sought-after issues of this legendary publication, as it contains not just this astonishing work by Mir� but also Chagall's Visions de Paris (8 lithographs), Matisse's La tristesse du roi, L�ger's La partie de campagne, and additional lithographs by Braque, Henri Laurens, Alberto Giacometti, Andr� Masson, Francisco Bor�s, and Marcel Gromaire. Joan Mir�, The Dog Barking at the Moon Lithograph, 1952 The full title of the Mir� is lithographed in Mir�'s hand on the reverse of the print: Le chien aboyant � la lune reveille le coq le chant du coq picote le crane du fermier Catalan pos� sur la table � cot� du pourron. The dog barking at the mo