Théophile-Alexandre Pierre Steinlen

Théophile-Alexandre Pierre Steinlen was active in the visual arts spanning the years 1879 to 1890, a period defined by drawing and printmaking. His documented output held in institutional collections confirms a focus on both figurative studies and landscape work, often incorporating subjects relating to everyday life and social observation.

The Art Institute of Chicago preserves a representative selection of Théophile-Alexandre Pierre Steinlen’s works, comprising four drawings and one print. His figure work includes the detailed studies Sheet of Sketches: Men, Women and Cats (recto); Sheet of Sketches: Men and Women (verso), and the portrait study Jean Louis Forain. The artist also demonstrated an interest in depicting social realities and environmental settings through pieces such as Tramp on a Road with Two Poplar Trees and Wooded Landscape with Vagabond.

His singular documented print, Overture for The Woman from Seville, for Piano, by Cecile Chaminade, indicates his activity in applied graphic arts, potentially involving illustration or sheet music design. Although only a limited number of works are currently represented in museum holdings, the documented existence of these Théophile-Alexandre Pierre Steinlen prints and drawings establishes his position within the late nineteenth-century graphic arts sphere. As many historical artworks become public domain, scholars often seek high-quality prints and reproductions for continued research.