Le Sillon

This poster by Fernand Toussaint advertises an exhibition by the artists group Le Sillon, which was active in Brussels in the 1890s. It shows a romantic image of a woman cutting flowers, surrounded by foliage. Toussaint was primarily a painter, but when he created this image he achieved instant recognition in the field of poster design. The colours are soft and glowing, and the lines have the flowing quality typical of Art Nouveau imagery. Le Sillon is French for furrow, and the image symbolizes the aims and expression of a young artist making his mark. Fernand Toussaint (1873-1956) was a Belgian painter. He was born in Brussels.