This exquisite heliogravure after Maurice Esteve (1904–2001), titled L'Aumance (The Aumance), from the folio Maurice Esteve, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Maurice Esteve, Painters of Today), originates from the 1961 edition published by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris, rendered by Bussière et Nouel, Paris, and printed by l'Imprimerie Lecot, Paris, June 1961. L'Aumance reflects Esteve’s lyrical synthesis of structure, form, and color that defines his contribution to postwar abstraction.
Executed as a heliogravure on velin paper, this work measures 10.83 x 13.78 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Bussière et Nouel and the exceptional production standards of Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Maurice Esteve (1904–2001)
Title: L'Aumance (The Aumance), from the folio Maurice Esteve, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Maurice Esteve, Painters of Today)
Medium: Heliogravure on velin paper
Dimensions: 10.83 x 13.78 inches (27.5 x 35 cm)
Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1961
Publisher: Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris
Printer: l'Imprimerie Lecot, Paris
Renderer: Bussière et Nouel, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Maurice Esteve, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Maurice Esteve, Painters of Today), published by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, Paris, June 1961
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), The illustrations of this album, completed in June 1961, were rendered by Bussière et Nouel, and shot by l'Imprimerie Lecot. The text has been composed and drawn by l'Imprimerie Darantiere, and the binding made by F.I.A.P., according to the models of Marcel Jacno. © Fernand Hazan Editeur, 35-37 rue de Seine, Paris. 1961. Droits de reproduction reserves A.D.A.G.P. Paris. Printed in France.
About the Publication:
Maurice Esteve, Peintres d'aujourd'hui (Maurice Esteve, Painters of Today), published in Paris in 1961 by Fernand Hazan, Editeur, stands as one of the most distinguished albums in the celebrated Peintres d'aujourd'hui series. Dedicated to presenting the foremost modern artists of the mid-20th century, the publication unites critical scholarship and the finest Parisian craftsmanship in fine art printmaking. Produced under the technical direction of Bussière et Nouel and printed by l'Imprimerie Lecot, the heliogravures exemplify the tonal precision and aesthetic refinement characteristic of the Hazan editions. The collaboration of l'Imprimerie Darantiere and F.I.A.P., following the models of Marcel Jacno, reflects the exceptional synthesis of design, technique, and scholarship that defined the Peintres d'aujourd'hui series. Conceived as both a visual and intellectual record of postwar modernism, the 1961 Hazan edition remains a landmark in the French tradition of art publishing—uniting critical discourse, printing mastery, and curatorial vision to preserve the spirit and innovation of modern abstraction.
About the Artist:
Maurice Esteve (1904–2001) was a French painter, draftsman, and lithographer whose lifelong devotion to color, form, and harmony established him as one of the great masters of postwar abstraction and a central figure of 20th-century French modernism. Born in Culan, France, Esteve was largely self-taught, moving to Paris in the 1920s where he immersed himself in the avant-garde circles of Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—artists whose innovations in abstraction, surrealism, and modern form profoundly shaped his artistic vision. Drawing from the Cubist structure of Picasso and Braque, the lyrical freedom of Miro and Kandinsky, and the humanist warmth of Bonnard and Matisse, Esteve forged a uniquely personal visual language that merged geometric precision with emotional resonance. His mature works—composed of radiant interlocking forms and glowing chromatic harmonies—embody a sense of balance and rhythm that feels both musical and architectural, transforming color into an expressive force of light, energy, and emotion. A leading figure of the Ecole de Paris, alongside Jean Bazaine, Alfred Manessier, and Serge Poliakoff, Esteve helped define the lyrical abstraction movement that bridged the gap between European modernism and American color field painting. His art, celebrated for its refined craftsmanship and spiritual intensity, rejects rigid formalism in favor of a meditative balance between intellect and intuition, order and improvisation. Over his six-decade career, Esteve’s paintings and lithographs were exhibited worldwide, including at the Venice Biennale, the Musee National d’Art Moderne, and the Fondation Maeght, and his work is represented in major collections such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His influence extends to later generations of lyrical abstractionists, color field painters, and contemporary designers who continue to draw inspiration from his synthesis of color and emotion. Collectors prize his work for its timeless elegance, chromatic vitality, and spiritual depth—qualities that link him to the great innovators of his century, including Picasso, Miro, Dali, Kandinsky, Calder, Duchamp, Giacometti, and Man Ray. His highest auction record was achieved by Composition 1955, which sold for $1.6 million at Sotheby’s, Paris, on June 6, 2018, confirming Maurice Esteve’s enduring legacy as one of the most poetic, harmonious, and collectible abstract painters of the modern era.
Maurice Esteve L'Aumance The Aumance Peintres d'aujourd'hui Painters of Today Fernand Hazan heliogravure Bussière et Nouel Imprimerie Lecot abstraction modern art.
