Herbes is a vivid and highly characteristic colour lithograph by Corneille, bringing together several of the motifs that would remain central to his visual world: the female figure, the bird, luxuriant vegetation and an intense, almost tropical use of colour.
The composition is dominated by a reclining woman set against a dense field of brilliant green, while a large bird hovers above her. Corneille repeatedly returned to the relationship between woman, nature and animal life, transforming these elements into a highly personal vocabulary associated with freedom, sensuality and an imagined world untouched by ordinary constraints. The bold contrasts of red, green, blue and black give Herbes an especially immediate and decorative presence.
Created in 1972, the work originates from Corneille’s Herbes portfolio, published in Paris by Michel Cassé. The portfolio occupies an interesting place within his graphic oeuvre, translating memories of vegetation and landscape into intensely coloured, poetic compositions. Contemporary writing on the series has likewise emphasized its strong connection with nature and childhood memory.
Importantly, Herbes is not an undocumented decorative edition: it is recorded in the catalogue raisonné of Corneille’s graphic work as Donkersloot no. 272. Specialist print references describe it as an original lithograph, signed, titled and dated by the artist, and identify Michel Cassé as the publisher.
This example, numbered 102/125 and hand-signed by Corneille, is presented in excellent condition. Combining strong provenance within the artist’s published graphic oeuvre, catalogue-raisonné documentation and an immediately recognisable composition, Herbes is a particularly appealing example of Corneille’s mature printmaking.
