Au Pied du Sinaï, Rejected Cover

The print Au Pied du Sinaï, Rejected Cover by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) is a significant example of his late graphic work, created in 1897. This piece is executed as a lithograph, demonstrating the artist’s technical mastery of the reproductive process that defined late 19th-century Parisian illustration. The impression is particularly notable as it utilizes thick gray-tan Japan wove paper, a specialty choice often selected for its textural quality and ability to hold the fine, subtle details necessary for commercial illustration. The designation "Rejected Cover" indicates this was a preliminary or abandoned design intended for an external publication, likely a book or musical score.

Lautrec, renowned for capturing the vibrant, often cynical life of Montmartre, utilized the medium of lithography to achieve broad distribution of his characteristic style. Throughout his career, his contribution to the graphic arts was central to modern poster design and book illustration in France. This particular print suggests an engagement with projects requiring a different stylistic register than his typical cabaret scenes. The precise lines and controlled shading reflect the technical demands of commercial printing while retaining the artist’s unique ability to render form with expressive economy. The preparation of these limited-edition prints was a critical commercial element of his professional output.

As a key example of French fin de siècle printmaking, this work resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it contributes to their extensive holdings of graphic arts. Due to the age of this masterwork and the artist’s passing in 1901, high-quality images of this lithograph are often available in the public domain, allowing researchers and enthusiasts access to prints representing the diverse and extensive illustrated projects of Toulouse-Lautrec.