Carnot is Sick!

"Carnot is Sick!" is a politically charged work created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1893. This significant example of late 19th-century graphic art is rendered as a color lithograph on cream wove paper. Lautrec was a master of the print medium, utilizing the expressive potential of lithography to achieve broad areas of color and sharp, graphic lines. The classification as a print highlights the accessibility and popular distribution methods prevalent in fin de siècle France.

The piece functions as a sharp commentary on the political climate of France during the Third Republic. The title directly references Marie François Sadi Carnot, the President of France from 1887 to 1894. Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in capturing the raw energy and often cynical spirit of his time, moving away from academic painting traditions toward accessible commercial art forms and satirical prints. This work, originating from the highly productive artistic environment of France, contributes to the tradition of political caricature, reflecting the social anxieties and economic turmoil facing Carnot’s administration.

The graphic boldness and immediacy of Toulouse-Lautrec’s style make this print a defining example of Belle Époque visual culture. Today, the work is held in the comprehensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a crucial document of the artist's engagement with contemporary society. Due to the age of the original work, high-resolution reproductions of some of Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential prints, including Carnot is Sick!, are often available for study through public domain initiatives.