Alfred la Guigne

"Alfred la Guigne" is an oil on cardboard painting created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This work exemplifies the artist's dedication to capturing the intimate and often unvarnished realities of Parisian life during the late nineteenth century. Utilizing cardboard, a less formal and more portable support than traditional canvas, Toulouse-Lautrec achieved a rapid, expressive application of paint, characteristic of his spontaneous drawing style. This immediacy was crucial for French artists working in the period of 1876 to 1900, who sought to document the fleeting nature of modern urban existence.

The subject, Alfred, known as "la Guigne" (meaning "the Jinx" or "the unlucky one"), was a frequent presence in the cafés, dance halls, and shadowy corners of Montmartre, the area of Paris that served as the primary inspiration for Toulouse-Lautrec. The artist portrays him not as a generalized type, but as a specific, psychologically complex individual, using sharp contours and a muted, evocative color palette to convey a sense of world-weariness. Toulouse-Lautrec’s skill lies in his ability to imbue his portraits with psychological insight, treating marginalized figures-performers, drinkers, and gamblers-with seriousness and dignity. His approach reflects the burgeoning Post-Impressionist interest in personalized observation over academic refinement.

As a pivotal figure in French art history, Toulouse-Lautrec's influence extends far beyond painting, notably impacting graphic arts. Although works like Alfred la Guigne are unique paintings, the artist's highly recognizable style is most widely known through his innovative lithographic prints. Given the age and significance of this painting from the 1890s, the image itself, like many historical documents from this era, is frequently available for study and reference in the public domain. This important piece resides today in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., preserving a crucial document of fin-de-siècle Paris.