Jean Lurçat “Géographie Animale” Complete Suite of 18 Lithographs, France, 1948

A striking and increasingly rare complete suite of eighteen lithographs from Géographie Animale by celebrated French artist Jean Lurçat, originally published in Lausanne in 1948 by André Gonin. This iconic postwar portfolio represents one of Lurçat’s most imaginative and visually arresting bodies of graphic work — a fantastical bestiary where animals become mythic, symbolic, and deeply decorative forms rendered through bold color, rhythmic linework, and surreal abstraction.

Presented here as a complete framed set of all eighteen compositions, each lithograph has been individually mounted within custom rounded white oak frames and protected under UV archival glass, creating a museum-like installation of remarkable scale and presence. The warm natural oak beautifully complements the graphic intensity of the works while allowing the imagery itself to remain the focal point. Displayed together, the suite reads almost architecturally — a monumental visual narrative equally suited to refined contemporary interiors, sophisticated traditional spaces, or important art collections.

Jean Lurçat (1892–1966) was one of the most influential French artists of the twentieth century and is widely credited with reviving the art of modern tapestry after the Second World War. Beyond tapestry, he worked across painting, ceramics, illustration, and printmaking, developing a highly recognizable visual language rooted in medieval symbolism, surrealism, mythology, astronomy, and the natural world. His work bridged fine art and decoration in a manner that deeply influenced postwar European design. Today, Lurçat’s tapestries reside in major international museum collections, and his graphic works have become increasingly sought after for their sculptural compositions and unmistakable use of color and form.  

Originally conceived as an illustrated poetic “animal geography,” Géographie Animale paired eighteen imaginative lithographs with accompanying texts by the artist himself. The original 1948 edition was issued in a limited run and has long been considered one of Lurçat’s most important illustrated books. These vividly stylized creatures — hybrid birds, fantastical insects, mythical beasts, crustaceans, spiders, and dreamlike zoological inventions — embody the artist’s fascination with symbolism and the cosmos while retaining a playful, almost folkloric energy. Art historians frequently reference the series as among Lurçat’s most decorative and visually daring printed works.  

Complete sets of all eighteen lithographs are considerably more scarce than individual examples, particularly when preserved and professionally framed as a unified installation. The rarity lies not only in the survival of the full suite, but in the opportunity to experience the portfolio as a cohesive environment rather than isolated works. The presentation transforms the original folio into a highly architectural wall composition reminiscent of a curated gallery installation.

Each work remains in very good vintage condition with beautiful color saturation throughout. Framed under UV-protective archival glass.

Dimensions: 10.5” x 13.5” Framed 

France, circa 1948.