At the Concert

At the Concert is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1896. This work belongs to the artist’s celebrated output of graphic art documenting the high-low culture of fin-de-siècle Paris. The piece is classified as a zincograph, a specialized form of lithography utilizing a zinc plate rather than the traditional limestone, which allowed 1864-1901 to work quickly and with great immediacy. This impression is executed in a subtle brownish olive-green ink on grayish-ivory laid chine, highlighting the delicate line work and tonal variation achieved through the printmaking process.

As a dedicated chronicler of Belle Époque society in France, Lautrec often focused on the interior spaces of entertainment venues, dance halls, and the fleeting, intimate moments of urban nightlife. The composition captures a scene within a public performance hall, characterized by the simplified lines, striking viewpoints, and limited color characteristic of his pioneering work in poster art. The choice of the zincograph medium further facilitated a sketch-like quality, echoing the spontaneous nature of the scenes he observed.

This masterful print is held in the renowned collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as an excellent example of the artist's production during the height of his career. Lautrec's technical innovations in the print medium made his works highly reproducible and influential across Europe. Today, images of this important 1896 At the Concert print are frequently made available through institutional public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread access to the celebrated record of French culture captured by one of its most important post-impressionist artists.