At the Concert (Au concert)

At the Concert (Au concert), created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896, is a vibrant example of the artist's mastery of the lithographic poster medium. This large-format print, executed using four colors, captures the specific ambiance of Parisian entertainment venues during the pivotal French art period stretching from 1876 to 1900.

As a central figure in late 19th-century art, Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in documenting the complex social world of cabarets, theaters, and concert halls, particularly in the Montmartre district. His artistic technique utilizes broad planes of color and dynamic, economical line work, distinguishing his commercial posters from traditional fine art prints. The composition focuses on observational intimacy, capturing either anonymous audience members or performers under the often harsh, artificial glow of the stage lighting, evoking the energy and sometimes stark realities of urban nightlife.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s lithographs were crucial to the burgeoning mass market for graphic arts in the French capital. The increasing demand for high-quality, reproducible prints made lithography the perfect vehicle for the artist’s vision, bridging the gap between fine art and advertising. This specific piece, reflecting the rapid cultural shifts occurring between 1876 to 1900, stands as a definitive document of Fin de siècle aesthetics and the modern obsession with public display and spectacle.

The use of four colors in the lithographic process allowed for striking, yet affordable, distribution, fundamentally changing how art engaged with the Parisian streetscape. Today, significant collections of these influential prints are digitized, with many well-known works eventually entering the public domain for scholarly study and appreciation. This lithographic print, which is permanently classified within the National Gallery of Art's collection, confirms Toulouse-Lautrec's legacy as the foremost chronicler of the modern, metropolitan experience.