Buy my Pretty Violets, from Mélodies de Désiré Dihau

"Buy my Pretty Violets, from Mélodies de Désiré Dihau" is a distinctive print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) in 1895. Executed as a lithograph on cream wove paper, the work belongs to a larger series of illustrated musical scores commissioned in Paris. Toulouse-Lautrec often collaborated with the vibrant theatrical and musical circles of the French capital, and this piece demonstrates his characteristic mastery of the printmaking process, capturing the expressive energy of Parisian life.

Toulouse-Lautrec was a pivotal figure in late 19th-century France, renowned for documenting the nightlife, cabarets, and private moments of performers and high-society figures. This print represents the culmination of his experiments with color and line achieved through the lithographic technique. Though the subject matter is subtly rendered, the work relies on the strong graphic qualities for which the artist is famous. The piece’s inclusion in the musical album Mélodies de Désiré Dihau contextualizes it within the booming industry of published sheet music and artistic collaborations of the period. Prints such as this solidified Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation as a modern master of graphic art, elevating poster design and illustration into the realm of fine art.

This important example of French graphic art from the fin-de-siècle is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the physical print remains a valuable artifact of late 19th-century printmaking, high-resolution scans of the work are increasingly accessible through public domain initiatives, allowing broader study of Toulouse-Lautrec’s significant contributions to modern art history.