Page:The illustrators of Montmartre.pdf/55

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FRÉDÉRIC VALLOTTON
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arms; yet more bulgy maman swerves over to tickle her youngest, while the next eldest clutches her mother's skirts in terror of the great ugly man with the camera,

In the background is the father of the family, looking over his wife's shoulder at the baby; while he places one hand on the shoulder of his eldest boy, who is rapidly outgrowing his knickerbockers, but is nevertheless determined to "come out well" in the group. The party is completed by the grown-up sister, who toys coyly with a straw flower lent her for that exact purpose.

A. couple of drawings record with equal force and truth the effect on the public of the cry "Stop Thief." First we sec the excited rabble in full chase; and then the victim {absolutely innocent) being hurried off to the police station by victorious gendarmes, followed by a gesticulating crowd of knowing ones, who declare the prisoner is a murderer who has killed a woman and six children. On another page are two street wrestlers, drawn to the life. One of them is shouting himself hoarse in his endeavours to collect a crowd to witness the marvellous accomplishments of his colleague, a mountain of flesh who is about to lift a stupendous pair of dumb-bells.

Yet another coloured drawing in Le Rire, called Le Coup de Main is very remarkable in its composition and handling, and like most of Vallotton's work shows an appreciation of Japanese