Au Hanneton

Au Hanneton, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898, is a significant example of French printmaking produced at the close of the 19th century. This lithograph showcases the artist's mature technique in the medium, utilizing the distinctive graphic qualities associated with his extensive output of observational character studies and posters advertising Parisian nightlife. Toulouse-Lautrec’s work frequently captured the complex social dynamics and fleeting energy of the theatrical and bohemian circles he frequented in Paris.

The versatility of the lithograph medium was critical to Toulouse-Lautrec’s artistic practice, allowing him to produce accessible prints that often blurred the lines between high art and commercial illustration. The flat planes and sharp contours visible in this piece are typical of the graphic style he perfected, which proved highly influential across France and beyond. The use of this chemical printing process, unlike traditional etching, enabled subtle tonal variations and broad fields of color, defining the visual aesthetics of the fin-de-siècle era. This print demonstrates the stylistic innovations of the period, combining the directness of Japanese woodblock prints with the observational sensitivity required to capture modern urban subjects.

As a key figure of Post-Impressionism, Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential body of work remains highly studied by art historians. This specific impression of Au Hanneton is currently held within the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, providing an important reference point for scholars examining the history of French graphic arts. Because many of Toulouse-Lautrec's major prints are widely distributed, high-resolution scans of his works are often available for study, sometimes falling within the public domain following copyright expiration.