The Accident — Félix Vallotton

ABOUT THIS WORK

In Félix Vallotton's "The Accident," a dramatic moment unfolds with stark simplicity, rendered in black zincograph on dark yellow paper. We see a woman, her skirt billowing, collapsed in the foreground, while a man rushes towards her, his hat flying off in his haste. The scene is stripped of extraneous detail, focusing our attention on the raw emotion and suddenness of the event. The figures are stark silhouettes against a muted background, a characteristic approach Vallotton developed during his association with Les Nabis in the 1890s. This deliberate lack of embellishment amplifies the sense of tragedy, allowing the viewer to fill in the narrative gaps and feel the immediate impact of the accident. The choice of zincograph, a printmaking technique, lends itself to the bold contrasts and flat areas of tone that define the image.

DETAILS

Artist: Félix Vallotton
Date: 1893
Medium: Zincograph in black on dark yellow wove paper
Location: Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions: Image: 22.4 × 31.4 cm (8 7/8 × 12 3/8 in.); Sheet: 32.4 × 46.3 cm (12 13/16 × 18 1/4 in.)

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

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01

The rearing white horse

The pale horse twists and falls at the center, its head jerked back by the reins. It is the one light shape that stops the street scene cold.

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02

The fallen woman

At the bottom, a woman in black lies on the pavement beneath the horse's raised hooves, with a woven basket beside her. The whole accident hangs on this dark, flattened shape.

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03

The man in the pale coat

A man in a long light coat strains at the horse's harness, his bent legs in checked trousers braced on the pavement. He anchors the right side of the scene.

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04

The top-hatted driver

The coachman sits high on the carriage in a tall hat and dark coat, looking on while others struggle below. His distance feels cold and faintly comic.

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05

Indifferent passersby

Up on the sidewalk at left, a woman carrying a bundle walks along with a man behind her, and another figure walks away at the top. They seem to go about their business as the accident unfolds.

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AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Félix Vallotton

1865–1925 · Switzerland

Félix Vallotton, 'The Foreign Nabi,' masterfully blended stark realism with the bold simplification of the modern woodcut, capturing intimate domestic dramas and Parisian life.

Read Vallotton’s full story