Anna Held and Baldy

The 1896 work, Anna Held and Baldy by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901), captures two figures central to the Parisian entertainment world of the fin de siècle. This piece is executed as a black-and-white lithograph on ivory wove paper, showcasing the artist's command of the print medium. Toulouse-Lautrec was instrumental in elevating the status of lithography, utilizing the technique to create expressive, immediate portraits and visual documentation throughout France. The work belongs to a critical period when the artist moved away from large commissioned posters toward more intimate studies of celebrity and the bohemian social circle.

Lautrec's signature style, characterized by swift, economical line work and a dynamic compositional focus, is clearly evident in this print. The subject, Anna Held, was a highly popular actress and singer known for her magnetic stage presence in France before she achieved international recognition. While the identity of "Baldy" remains open to scholarly interpretation, the pairing reflects Lautrec’s enduring fascination with the intermingling of high society and the theatrical underground. This specific print exemplifies the artist's ability to distill character and atmosphere into precise visual statements.

As a vital cultural record from 1896, this artwork is classified simply as a Print and remains a significant example of Lautrec's graphic output. The artistic importance of the lithographic prints created by Toulouse-Lautrec continues to be studied internationally. This important piece, Anna Held and Baldy, is held in the extensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Moreover, as many of the artist’s works are now entering the public domain, the accessibility of Lautrec's crucial vision of Belle Époque Paris is widely expanded for contemporary researchers and art enthusiasts.