At the Théâtre-Libre: Antoine in L'Inquiétude by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) is a significant print created in 1893, capturing the essence of the Parisian stage. Executed as a lithograph on cream wove paper, the work demonstrates the artist’s characteristic handling of the medium, utilizing broad, expressive lines and stark tonal contrasts. This print centers on the famed actor André Antoine, the director and driving force behind the innovative Théâtre-Libre, portraying him during a performance of the play L’Inquiétude (Anxiety or Unease).
The Théâtre-Libre, founded in 1887, was instrumental in popularizing naturalism in French theater, offering Toulouse-Lautrec a rich source of inspiration. Throughout his career, Toulouse-Lautrec frequently documented the life of public performance in France, from the bustling opera houses and cabarets to intimate venues like this one. His graphic style, often influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints, perfectly suited the stark, unvarnished realism of the stage that Antoine championed.
The artist’s choice of lithography allowed him to achieve a spontaneous quality, mirroring the fleeting nature of the theatrical moment. This work is one of the important prints that established Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation as a keen and empathetic observer of fin-de-siècle Paris. The dramatic tension and psychological depth captured in the performance solidify the importance of At the Théâtre-Libre: Antoine in L'Inquiétude as a document of cultural history. This impression resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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