By: François Houtin

Medium: etching
Image Size: 9 x 7 inches
Edition: V/XX
Year: 1977

Panoplie is a remarkable etching by François Houtin that gathers an entire universe of ornamental forms—crosses, architectural fragments, botanical inventions, and mechanical symbols—into a single intricate composition. Each motif feels both sacred and whimsical, forming a visual catalogue of Houtin’s imagination. The artist arranges these symbols with the precision of an engraver and the playfulness of a dreamer, suggesting a taxonomy of human invention where religion, nature, and architecture intertwine. Panoplie reveals Houtin’s fascination with the decorative impulse and his extraordinary command of etched line, transforming detail into wonder.