The Ball

1893–1897

Woodcuts for La Revue Blanche; the Natansons' patronage

His woodcuts brought Vallotton clients and financial security: he illustrated leading French periodicals, including La Revue Blanche, and foreign ones such as The Chap-Book of Chicago, and cut covers for theatre programmes and book illustrations. Thadée Natanson, publisher of La Revue Blanche, and his wife Misia became his patrons and introduced him to the Paris avant-garde elite — Mallarmé, Proust, Satie and Debussy.

23 January 1898

On Dreyfus's side

At the height of the Dreyfus affair Vallotton passionately defended the falsely accused officer; his series of satirical woodcuts, including “The Age of the Newspaper”, appeared on the front page of Le Cri de Paris. The affair divided the Nabis and was one reason the group had drifted apart by 1900.

1899

Married: Gabrielle Bernheim

1899

After the wedding, a flat by the Gare Saint-Lazare

His wife, Gabrielle Rodrigues-Henriques — a widow and the daughter of the dealer Alexandre Bernheim, founder of the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune — brought three children from her first marriage into the household. After a brief honeymoon in Switzerland the couple moved into a large flat near the Gare Saint-Lazare; the marriage brought Vallotton financial security.

1900

Becomes a French citizen

The Swiss-born Vallotton was naturalised as a French citizen.

after 1901

Gives up the woodcut for painting

After 1901 Vallotton made few prints and devoted himself to painting (he had been turning to it increasingly since 1899): after his marriage the woodcut ceased to be his main income, and the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, with which he formed a solid relationship, mounted a Nabis exhibition including ten of his works.