À Menilmontant by Bruant, plate four from Yvette Guilbert

À Menilmontant by Bruant, plate four from Yvette Guilbert is a significant print created in 1898 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This specific work is a lithograph executed in the warm, reddish-brown pigment known as sanguine, applied meticulously to cream wove paper. Toulouse-Lautrec expertly employed both lithographic crayon for broad tonal areas and a scraper to lift pigment and create sharp, luminous highlights, resulting in the distinctive, abbreviated style typical of his graphic arts production in France.

This print serves as plate four in the artist's acclaimed series dedicated to the celebrated cabaret performer Yvette Guilbert. Toulouse-Lautrec, who was deeply immersed in the theatrical and entertainment culture of fin-de-siècle Paris, utilized the quick, expressive nature of the lithographic medium to produce penetrating character studies. His commitment to making high-quality art accessible drove the popularity of these prints, which continue to influence modern design and are often studied through various institutional and public domain collections globally.

The 1898 composition, known formally as À Menilmontant by Bruant, plate four from Yvette Guilbert, is mounted on a gray-brown wove paper support. Although the original design is French, this particular impression was printed by the English Westminster Press and subsequently published by Ernest Brown & Phillips in the 20th century. The technical details identify the medium as lithograph (crayon with scraper) in sanguine on cream wove paper. The piece remains a vital example of Toulouse-Lautrec’s output and is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, showcasing his unique fusion of high art and popular subject matter.