Coquelin Aîné

The print Coquelin Aîné by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1898, captures one of the most famous theatrical personalities of fin-de-siècle Paris. Executed as a crayon lithograph on delicate china paper, this classification of art is a superb example of the artist's late graphic output. Toulouse-Lautrec, a master of the poster and the intimate portrait, utilized the lithographic process to achieve a distinctive blend of spontaneity and detail. The use of crayon allowed him to evoke texture and shadow with a soft, yet immediate touch, differing greatly from his concurrent oil paintings.

The subject, Benoît-Constant Coquelin (known professionally as Coquelin Aîné), was a revered French actor, immortalized here shortly after his immense success as the star of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Unlike the theatrical flamboyance seen in some of Lautrec’s earlier posters, this portrait presents a quieter, more focused study of the man. Toulouse-Lautrec eschews unnecessary background detail, ensuring that the viewer’s attention remains solely on the dignified, slightly worn features of the performer. The intimate scale and sensitive execution highlight the artist’s commitment to realistic portraits of the men who defined the cultural stage of the era.

As one of the important late 19th-century prints created by the artist, the work reflects the enduring appeal and high quality of graphic art during the period. This valuable impression is held within the expansive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Given the widespread influence of Toulouse-Lautrec’s lithographs, many similar early impressions of his celebrated figures are preserved in museum collections globally, contributing significantly to the body of artistic materials that are now accessible through the public domain.