"L'ecuyere dans le cirque", pencil signed as pictured. From Wikipedia, "To distinguish himself from his siblings, Gaston Duchamp adopted the pseudonym of Jacques Villon as a tribute to the French medieval poet Fran?ois Villon. In Montmartre, home to an expanding art community, Villon lost interest in the pursuit of a legal career, and for the next 10 years he worked in graphic media, contributing cartoons and illustrations to Parisian newspapers. His work appeared in the satirical weekly Le Courrier fran?ais.[4] Villon created only seven advertising posters in his career, all of which are in the soft styles of the Belle Epoque.[5][6] In 1903 he helped organize the drawing section of the first Salon d'Automne in Paris.[7] In 1904-1905 he studied art at the Acad?mie Julian. At first, he was influenced by Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, but later he participated in the fauvist, Cubist, and abstract impressionist movements. By 1906, Montmartre was a bustling community and Jacques Villon moved to Puteaux in the quiet outskirts of Paris. There, he began to devote more of his time to working in drypoint, an intaglio technique that creates dark, velvety lines that stand out against the white of the paper. During this time he worked closely to develop his technique with other important printmakers such as Manuel Robbe. His isolation from the vibrant art community in Montmartre, together with his modest nature, ensured that he and his artwork remained obscure for a number of years.The sheet size is 15" x 22 1/4". Somewhat toned, water stain at the upper left margin, some masking tape affixed to the reverse edge. A few small abrasions.