Sizing a Felix Vallotton Print for a Small Apartment
Vallotton's flat planes and hard edges suit compact walls, but scale still decides the outcome. The sizes that sell, and what each one does to a small room.
The best size Felix Vallotton print for small spaces is usually 50 by 70 cm, large enough to carry his bold interiors without crowding a wall. Smaller rooms take 30 by 40 cm above a desk or sideboard, while a single 70 by 100 cm piece works only on the main wall.
The Sizes That Actually Sell
Three sizes dominate Vallotton print sales, and the pattern is easy to explain. The 50 by 70 cm edition is the workhorse, chosen most often because it matches the scale of his compositions. His interiors and bathers were built on strong, simple masses, and at mid-size those masses still read clearly from across a room. Anything much smaller and the flatness that makes him interesting starts to look fussy.
The 30 by 40 cm format suits his woodcuts and single-figure works, where a tight crop is part of the design. The 70 by 100 cm edition is the exception rather than the rule. It belongs on the one large wall in an apartment, usually opposite the entrance, where a viewer meets it head on. In a narrow hallway or beside a door it overwhelms, and no amount of careful framing fixes that.
Where Each Size Works Best
Above the bed, go with 50 by 70 cm or a pair of 30 by 40 cm prints side by side. Vallotton's night interiors, with their lamplight and still figures, sit naturally in a bedroom and reward the quiet attention a bed wall gets. Keep the bottom edge roughly 20 to 25 cm above the headboard so the print connects to the furniture rather than floating near the ceiling.
Above a sofa, one 50 by 70 cm piece centred is the safest arrangement. A gallery wall of three or four smaller prints also works, and Vallotton's woodcut series gives you natural companions. In a kitchen or entry, a single 30 by 40 cm print is enough. His palette runs cool in the landscapes and warm in the interiors, so match the print to the room's light before you commit.
Placement rules of thumb
- A single print should span roughly two thirds of the furniture below it
- Keep the centre of the frame at eye level, around 145 cm from the floor
- Leave at least 15 cm of clear wall on each side of the frame
- Pair cool landscapes with warm lamplight to keep the room from turning cold
Check the Wall Before You Order
The honest risk with Vallotton in a small apartment is not size but weight of tone. His interiors are often built on dark floors, deep shadows and heavy furniture silhouettes, and two of them on adjacent walls can make a compact room feel boxed in. Tape a paper rectangle the size of the edition you are considering and live with it for a day. It costs nothing and settles most doubts.
One more mechanical check matters more than people expect. Measure the wall, then subtract the frame. A 50 by 70 cm print in a visible frame occupies closer to 60 by 80 cm of wall, and in a tight room that extra ten centimetres on each side is the difference between balanced and crowded. Order for the framed dimension, not the paper one.
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Three sizes dominate Vallotton print sales, and the pattern is easy to explain.
Key takeaways
- Three sizes dominate Vallotton print sales, and the pattern is easy to explain.
- Above the bed, go with 50 by 70 cm or a pair of 30 by 40 cm prints side by side.
- The honest risk with Vallotton in a small apartment is not size but weight of tone.
Felix Vallotton at Auvrique
Made to order · Every size
Every size, every country, delivery included
Editions are made to order and shipped worldwide. Choose a format and a size, and the price you see is the price you pay.
View the collectionGeneral art-historical background drawn from public museum records and standard reference literature. Pricing reflects Auvrique editions and is indicative only.