Antoine and Gémier in "Une Faillite"

Antoine and Gémier in "Une Faillite" is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894, capturing a key moment in French theater history. Executed on velin paper, the work showcases the artist’s mastery of the lithographic process, a medium he utilized extensively to create posters and theatrical portraits that captured the vitality of Parisian nightlife during the period 1876 to 1900. Unlike traditional painters, Toulouse-Lautrec embraced the print medium for its graphic power and immediate reproducibility, which aligned perfectly with the commercial and cultural demands of the era.

The subject focuses on the actors Antoine and Gémier, two significant figures connected to André Antoine's Théâtre Libre movement, depicted here during a performance of the drama "Une Faillite" (A Bankruptcy). This dedication to documenting contemporary performing artists reflects Toulouse-Lautrec’s role as an unflinching chronicler of the Fin de siècle. The artist employs stark compositions and often theatrical lighting effects, allowing the psychological tension of the scene and the expressive features of the performers to dominate the composition.

As a crucial example of Toulouse-Lautrec’s prolific output, this piece provides insight into the cultural milieu of the late 19th century French art scene. The work demonstrates how the artist rejected academic polish in favor of raw, immediate observation, deeply influencing subsequent generations of graphic artists. This lithograph, Antoine and Gémier in "Une Faillite", is currently held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its age and established provenance, this significant example of late 19th century French prints is often referenced in scholarly works detailing the transition of graphic arts into the modern period and is a highly respected artifact within the history of art, increasingly accessible through high-quality digitized records often offered via public domain initiatives.