Fête nautique nocturne à l'Exposition de 1937

Reading the work

A nocturnal water festival unfolds as pure spectacle of light and dark: sheaves of fireworks and luminous fountains erupt from the night like palm fronds, while an antique column, a stranded ship and a roaring sea-serpent tip the scene into fable. A master of intaglio, Cottet models light through the sheer density of his lines – the white of the paper itself becomes flame. The jubilant crowds along the water recall the illuminated fountains of the 1937 Paris International Exposition, which directly inspired the artist.