Atelier le Grand Village is a stone lithography studio in the Charente-Limousine, France, founded and directed by Francis van der Riet. The Atelier is dedicated to reviving and exploring the art of lithography on stone, working with contemporary artists from France and around the world.
Stone lithography is the studio's principal technique. It allows the character and sensitivity of an artist's drawing to be translated directly onto the stone and into the printed image, preserving the qualities of pencil, brush, gesture and colour. Artists come to the Atelier to work directly on the stone and to take part in the printing process, creating an active dialogue between artist and printer.
The studio works with faithfully restored French lithographic presses dating from the 1860s. These historic presses are central to the character of the Atelier and to its approach to handmade printmaking. Original lithographs are printed by hand in limited editions.
Other printmaking techniques are also explored at the Atelier, including monotype, linocut and photo-plate lithography. The combination of traditional methods and experimentation allows each artist to develop an approach suited to their work.
Over the years, artists from France, Bulgaria, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and other countries have worked at Atelier le Grand Village. From time to time, the studio also welcomes a guest printer who brings additional experience and expertise to the workshop.
All printworks produced at Atelier le Grand Village are registered with the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
