Bar of the Café of the rue de Rome

"Bar of the Café of the rue de Rome" is a powerful drawing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, created during his active period between 1876 and 1901. This highly expressive piece showcases Lautrec’s mastery of graphic techniques. Executed primarily in charcoal, the artist heightened the sense of light and form using white chalk. The dynamic and textured surface quality, typical of his observational studies and preparatory work, was achieved through technical processes like stumping and erasing, applied carefully on blue wove paper. This medium choice lends the work a distinctive, moody atmosphere, enhancing the sense of artificial illumination.

Lautrec was central to documenting the vibrant, often marginalized, nocturnal life of turn-of-the-century Paris, France. His intense focus on the fleeting moments within cafés and cabarets, such as the setting suggested in Bar of the Café of the rue de Rome, established him as one of the most significant chroniclers of modern urban experience. Lautrec’s characteristic interest in capturing unposed, candid moments is evident here. The subject matter reflects the artist’s milieu-a fascination with the barmaid, patrons, and the harsh artificial light that defined the social scene. This focus on immediate, often unflattering portraiture distinguished his style from academic traditions of the time.

Although Lautrec’s reputation is often associated with lithography and poster prints, drawings like this provide direct insight into his rapid observational skills. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this significant drawing, classifying it as a foundational example of late 19th-century French graphic arts. Because of its historical importance and age, the image is frequently available in the public domain for study and reference.