At the Concert

"At the Concert" is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1896. This work, classified as a print, utilizes the challenging technique of zincography applied to a grayish-ivory laid chine paper. Toulouse-Lautrec was instrumental in elevating printmaking, especially lithography and zincography, from commercial advertising to a recognized fine art medium during the late 19th century in France.

As a master observer of Belle Époque nightlife, the artist frequently captured intimate, often unglamorous moments within Parisian venues such as music halls, theaters, and cafés-concerts. While the specific location depicted in At the Concert is not defined, the composition is characteristic of his style, featuring strong contour lines and asymmetrical framing, techniques heavily influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints. The use of zincography allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to achieve a specific tonal range and texture particularly suited for reproducing the atmospheric, often artificial, lighting of indoor public spaces, focusing on the audience or performers in mid-action.

This piece exemplifies the era’s shifting cultural focus toward modern urban life and the democratization of art through widely accessible prints. Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential depictions of marginalized figures and entertainers continue to define the visual history of fin-de-siècle France. This zincograph is permanently housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains a key example of the artist’s graphic output, accessible today to the public domain for study and appreciation.