At La Souris, Madame Palmyre

"At La Souris, Madame Palmyre" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, is a significant example of fin-de-siècle French graphic arts. Created in 1897, this work is a sophisticated lithograph rendered in black ink on delicate ivory Japanese paper, a choice of material that adds subtle warmth and texture to the final print. The medium highlights the artist’s dedication to graphic processes, which he utilized extensively to document the rapidly evolving social landscape of Paris.

Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in capturing the vibrant, often marginalized figures of Parisian nightlife. This intimate portrait, characteristic of his late career, depicts a specific individual, Madame Palmyre, within the context of a known establishment, "La Souris" (The Mouse). This setting suggests one of the smaller, more bohemian cafés or cabarets favored by the artist, rather than the grander venues of the era. The classification as a print emphasizes Toulouse-Lautrec’s role in disseminating images of Belle Époque society in France to a wider audience. He used the directness of the lithographic process to emphasize contour and the sitter’s character over detailed realism.

The technical mastery displayed in At La Souris, Madame Palmyre confirms Toulouse-Lautrec's status as one of the great printmakers of the period. The limited palette and sharp outlines typical of this 1897 work focus the viewer entirely on the psychological presence of the subject. As a key document of late 19th-century French culture, this exemplary lithograph is housed within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing substantially to its comprehensive holdings of European prints and drawings.