Bartet and Mounet-Sully, in Antigone

Bartet and Mounet-Sully, in Antigone is a significant lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French, 1864-1901, in 1893. Executed on cream wove paper, this work functions both as a fine art print and a piece of social documentation from the Parisian stage. Lautrec utilized the lithographic process to swiftly capture the emotional intensity and dramatic lighting characteristic of theatrical performance, a subject that dominated his artistic output.

The composition centers on the figures of two of France's most celebrated actors of the era, Julia Bartet and Jean Mounet-Sully, captured during a revival of Sophocles’ classical tragedy Antigone. Toulouse-Lautrec was a dedicated observer of the vibrant cultural life of fin-de-siècle Paris, documenting not only the bohemian nightlife but also high-profile dramatic and opera performances. The artist's distinctive style, characterized by sharply rendered outlines, dynamic asymmetry, and a keen focus on gesture and costume, is fully evident in this piece.

Dated to the height of his career, this print demonstrates Lautrec's exceptional skill as a graphic artist, instrumental in the elevation of the print medium to a respected art form. His theatrical subjects provide a vital visual chronicle of the entertainment culture in France during the 1890s. This lithograph is classified as a print and is part of the extensive collection of European art housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. The work remains an important source for studying Toulouse-Lautrec's mastery of the graphic arts and his role as the premier visual chronicler of the French stage.