Cléo de Mérode by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1896, is a sophisticated example of the artist’s mastery of graphic art during the Belle Époque. This work, classified as a print, was executed as a lithograph on brown laid paper. The technical nuances of the impression, including the substrate material, suggest it may be a rare trial proof, offering insight into the development of the final edition. This period, spanning 1876 to 1900, was crucial for the evolution of graphic arts in France, where artists like Toulouse-Lautrec elevated printmaking from a reproductive function to a primary artistic medium.
The subject is the famed French dancer and international beauty icon Cléo de Mérode (1875-1966). During her career, she was one of the most photographed women in the world, embodying the idealized image of fin-de-siècle celebrity culture. Toulouse-Lautrec captures her distinctive profile, emphasizing the severe hairstyle and elegant neck that contributed to her unique mystique. Unlike many of the artist’s dynamic portrayals of dancers in movement within the chaotic settings of the Moulin Rouge, this piece is focused and intimate, utilizing a sparse background to concentrate the viewer's attention entirely on the sitter’s delicate silhouette.
The artist’s approach to color and line in this lithograph is restrained, emphasizing form over dramatic action. Toulouse-Lautrec skillfully uses the inherent texture and tone of the brown laid paper to create a warm atmosphere and subtle depth, a characteristic often found in his most thoughtful prints. This study represents the artist’s sustained interest in portraiture within the rapidly shifting social landscape of late 19th-century Paris.
This significant French work, created between 1876 to 1900, demonstrates the aesthetic possibilities of the lithographic medium. It resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. As the National Gallery of Art often releases images into the public domain, this iconic portrait is widely accessible for art historians and enthusiasts studying Toulouse-Lautrec's celebrated body of prints.
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