What is chine-collé?

The museum has four works that use the chine-collé printmaking technique and three of them are currently on display.

Stuart Davis, Place des Vosges, 1928, Chine colle lithograph on paper 10 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.; 26.67 x 36.83 cm.. Acquired 1930. The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.

Chine-collé,  succinctly described in the Tamarind Book of Lithography: Art and Techniques, is a printmaking process in which a very thin sheet of paper is printed on and simultaneously mounted to a thicker backing paper. The thin paper can receive a better impression, but is too fragile to stand alone. The combination of the thin paper and the heavier backing creates a fine impression and a stable supported ground. Additionally, sometimes a pleasing contrast can be created through tonal differences between the two materials.