Untitled (Girls with Birds), Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933), c.1960s color lithograph, 18.5×25.5 in, pencil-signed, edition E.A.
A rare Épreuve d’Artiste lithograph by French master Jean-Baptiste Valadié, this poetic 18.5×25.5 in. composition features two girls interacting with songbirds in Valadié’s trademark blend of lyrical linework, warm Mediterranean colors, and dreamlike atmosphere. Signed and marked E.A., it exemplifies the romantic, tender imagery that has made Valadié beloved among collectors worldwide.
Artwork Description
This evocative Valadié lithograph presents two young girls in a quiet, introspective moment surrounded by birds—one poised with an outstretched hand toward a perched trio, and the other resting contemplatively with her chin in her hand. The scene is rendered through delicate, sinuous linework that defines the figures and the birdcage, contrasted against richly mottled color fields in copper, teal, deep red, and soft white.
The lithographic surface is alive with layered washes, speckling, and textural overlays, giving the composition a shimmering, atmospheric quality. Valadié often worked with a combination of controlled drawing and spontaneous abstract color fields; here, the soft transitions and textured pigments create an emotional environment rather than a literal setting. The birds appear as delicate accents—symbols of freedom, gentleness, and the imaginative world of childhood that Valadié explored frequently in his mid-century work.
The interplay between the girls mirrors Valadié’s fascination with emotional nuance. One girl engages directly with the birds, fully absorbed in their presence, while the other gazes outward in a moment of dreamy reflection. Their expressions, gestures, and closeness generate a sense of intimacy, curiosity, and innocence.
The work is a color lithograph signed “Valadié” in pencil at the lower right and marked E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste) at the lower left—one of the artist’s proof impressions set aside from the numbered edition. Measuring 18.5 × 25.5 inches, it is a quintessential example of Valadié’s romantic sensibility, combining figurative clarity with abstract color harmonies and a sense of gentle narrative.
Biography of Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933)
Early Life and Training
Jean-Baptiste Valadié was born on 29 December 1933 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. Demonstrating exceptional drawing ability from an early age, he relocated to Paris for professional study, attending the Cours Charpentier in Montparnasse and later earning his diploma from the École des Arts Appliqués after a rigorous four-year program. His time sketching at Place du Tertre in Montmartre deepened his observational skill and cemented his love of expressive line.
Style, Media & Influences
Valadié works fluidly across lithography, painting, engraving, tapestry, sculpture, and illustration. His art blends romantic figuration with transparent veils of color and abstract textural fields, typically in sunlit golds, brick reds, deep blues, and sea greens. His dominant themes include women, lovers, childhood, and family—subjects treated with softness, sensuality, and poetic introspection. He has long emphasized that art arises from “fantasy, dreams, irrationality, and sensuality,” a philosophy that permeates works such as this bird-themed composition.
Exhibitions & Recognition
Valadié’s career spans more than six decades of international visibility, with major solo and group exhibitions in Paris, Dakar, Zurich, Sydney, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Cannes, New York, and New Orleans, as well as throughout the School of Paris circles. His works have appeared across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Scandinavia, and South Africa. He received numerous accolades in his early career, including the Prix de la Jeune Peinture, Prix Cézanne, and multiple awards from Paris and Algiers salons. In 1956, the Musée Pédagogique in Paris acquired one of his works, and he was later commissioned to create a fresco for the Chapel of Salins de Giraud.
Relationship to This Artwork
Children, birds, and gentle domestic scenes appear frequently in Valadié’s work, often influenced by his time spent in Spain and Mediterranean regions. This particular lithograph captures the artist’s hallmark balance between innocence and introspection. The birds may symbolize imagination, freedom, or inner voice—common motifs in Valadié’s storytelling. The warm palette and atmospheric texture create a dreamlike emotional space that reinforces his reputation for creating “paintings as delicate as dreams.”
Jean-Baptiste Valadié (French, b.1933), Untitled (Girls with Birds), c.1960s, color lithograph, 18.5×25.5 in., pencil-signed lower right, marked E.A. Lyrical composition of two girls with birds rendered in Valadié’s warm Mediterranean palette and expressive linework. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Jean-Baptiste Valadié (French, b.1933)
Title: Untitled (Girls with Birds)
Date: c.1960s–1970s
Medium: Color lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 18.5 × 25.5 inches
Edition: E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste / Artist’s Proof)
Signature: Hand-signed in pencil at lower right; marked E.A. at lower left
Condition: Very good vintage condition with characteristic age-related paper handling
Authenticity:
– Signature consistent with known Valadié works
– Artist’s Proof notation aligns with his standard editioning practice
– Provenance confirmed through Mitch Morse Gallery to Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
This certificate confirms the authenticity of this hand-signed color lithograph by Jean-Baptiste Valadié.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
• Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933) – artist
• Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY – acquired directly from artist or publisher
• Private acquisition via Mitch Morse Gallery
• Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC – current owner
Untitled (Girls with Birds), Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933), c.1960s color lithograph, 18.5×25.5 in, pencil-signed, edition E.A.
A rare Épreuve d’Artiste lithograph by French master Jean-Baptiste Valadié, this poetic 18.5×25.5 in. composition features two girls interacting with songbirds in Valadié’s trademark blend of lyrical linework, warm Mediterranean colors, and dreamlike atmosphere. Signed and marked E.A., it exemplifies the romantic, tender imagery that has made Valadié beloved among collectors worldwide.
Artwork Description
This evocative Valadié lithograph presents two young girls in a quiet, introspective moment surrounded by birds—one poised with an outstretched hand toward a perched trio, and the other resting contemplatively with her chin in her hand. The scene is rendered through delicate, sinuous linework that defines the figures and the birdcage, contrasted against richly mottled color fields in copper, teal, deep red, and soft white.
The lithographic surface is alive with layered washes, speckling, and textural overlays, giving the composition a shimmering, atmospheric quality. Valadié often worked with a combination of controlled drawing and spontaneous abstract color fields; here, the soft transitions and textured pigments create an emotional environment rather than a literal setting. The birds appear as delicate accents—symbols of freedom, gentleness, and the imaginative world of childhood that Valadié explored frequently in his mid-century work.
The interplay between the girls mirrors Valadié’s fascination with emotional nuance. One girl engages directly with the birds, fully absorbed in their presence, while the other gazes outward in a moment of dreamy reflection. Their expressions, gestures, and closeness generate a sense of intimacy, curiosity, and innocence.
The work is a color lithograph signed “Valadié” in pencil at the lower right and marked E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste) at the lower left—one of the artist’s proof impressions set aside from the numbered edition. Measuring 18.5 × 25.5 inches, it is a quintessential example of Valadié’s romantic sensibility, combining figurative clarity with abstract color harmonies and a sense of gentle narrative.
Biography of Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933)
Early Life and Training
Jean-Baptiste Valadié was born on 29 December 1933 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. Demonstrating exceptional drawing ability from an early age, he relocated to Paris for professional study, attending the Cours Charpentier in Montparnasse and later earning his diploma from the École des Arts Appliqués after a rigorous four-year program. His time sketching at Place du Tertre in Montmartre deepened his observational skill and cemented his love of expressive line.
Style, Media & Influences
Valadié works fluidly across lithography, painting, engraving, tapestry, sculpture, and illustration. His art blends romantic figuration with transparent veils of color and abstract textural fields, typically in sunlit golds, brick reds, deep blues, and sea greens. His dominant themes include women, lovers, childhood, and family—subjects treated with softness, sensuality, and poetic introspection. He has long emphasized that art arises from “fantasy, dreams, irrationality, and sensuality,” a philosophy that permeates works such as this bird-themed composition.
Exhibitions & Recognition
Valadié’s career spans more than six decades of international visibility, with major solo and group exhibitions in Paris, Dakar, Zurich, Sydney, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Cannes, New York, and New Orleans, as well as throughout the School of Paris circles. His works have appeared across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Scandinavia, and South Africa. He received numerous accolades in his early career, including the Prix de la Jeune Peinture, Prix Cézanne, and multiple awards from Paris and Algiers salons. In 1956, the Musée Pédagogique in Paris acquired one of his works, and he was later commissioned to create a fresco for the Chapel of Salins de Giraud.
Relationship to This Artwork
Children, birds, and gentle domestic scenes appear frequently in Valadié’s work, often influenced by his time spent in Spain and Mediterranean regions. This particular lithograph captures the artist’s hallmark balance between innocence and introspection. The birds may symbolize imagination, freedom, or inner voice—common motifs in Valadié’s storytelling. The warm palette and atmospheric texture create a dreamlike emotional space that reinforces his reputation for creating “paintings as delicate as dreams.”
Jean-Baptiste Valadié (French, b.1933), Untitled (Girls with Birds), c.1960s, color lithograph, 18.5×25.5 in., pencil-signed lower right, marked E.A. Lyrical composition of two girls with birds rendered in Valadié’s warm Mediterranean palette and expressive linework. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
Artist: Jean-Baptiste Valadié (French, b.1933)
Title: Untitled (Girls with Birds)
Date: c.1960s–1970s
Medium: Color lithograph on paper
Dimensions: 18.5 × 25.5 inches
Edition: E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste / Artist’s Proof)
Signature: Hand-signed in pencil at lower right; marked E.A. at lower left
Condition: Very good vintage condition with characteristic age-related paper handling
Authenticity:
– Signature consistent with known Valadié works
– Artist’s Proof notation aligns with his standard editioning practice
– Provenance confirmed through Mitch Morse Gallery to Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
This certificate confirms the authenticity of this hand-signed color lithograph by Jean-Baptiste Valadié.
Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)
• Jean-Baptiste Valadié (b.1933) – artist
• Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY – acquired directly from artist or publisher
• Private acquisition via Mitch Morse Gallery
• Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC – current owner
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