Cléo de Mérode, from Treize Lithographies

"Cléo de Mérode, from Treize Lithographies by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, is a key example of the artist's dedication to capturing Parisian celebrity life at the turn of the century. Created in 1898, this lithograph in black on ivory laid paper showcases the mastery of the printmaking process achieved during this era in France. The work belongs to a suite of images titled Treize Lithographies and highlights Toulouse-Lautrec's unique approach to portraiture, using his characteristic sharp observation to render the essence of his famous subjects.

The subject, Cléo de Mérode, was a celebrated Belgian dancer and demimondaine who became a defining figure of the Belle Époque. Lautrec frequently immortalized the performers who populated Montmartre, utilizing the immediacy of the lithographic medium to convey their personality and stature. This print displays the artist's typical economy of line and strong compositional structure, focusing the viewer entirely on Mérode's celebrated beauty and poise. As one of the most important Post-Impressionist artists working in Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec elevated the status of fine art prints through works like Cléo de Mérode, treating them not merely as reproductions but as original artistic statements that defined the cultural pulse of fin-de-siècle France.

As a significant example of French printmaking from the late 19th century, this piece is classified specifically as a print and resides in the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Because the artist died in 1901, many of his important works, including prints from the Treize Lithographies series, are now frequently found within the public domain, making them widely accessible for study and appreciation worldwide."