Coquelin the Elder (Coquelin aine)

Coquelin the Elder (Coquelin aine) is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This portrait, executed as a lithograph in black on high-quality Japan paper, captures the celebrated French actor Benoît-Constant Coquelin, known formally as Coquelin aîné.

Toulouse-Lautrec was unparalleled in his ability to depict the specific personalities and fluid energy of the Parisian entertainment world during the Fin de siècle. Coquelin was one of the most distinguished actors of the era, known particularly for originating the role of Cyrano de Bergerac in Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play. The work utilizes the immediacy and directness inherent in the lithographic process, allowing Toulouse-Lautrec to achieve a vigorous, sketch-like quality that captures the actor's bearing without excessive detail.

Created during the later part of the period spanning 1876 to 1900, this image exemplifies the artist's focus on rapid celebrity portraiture and the intersection of fine art and commercial design. As a premier French artist operating in the dynamic cultural center of Montmartre, Toulouse-Lautrec often chronicled the vibrant, sometimes shadowed, social life of the city. His mastery of the prints medium profoundly influenced the revival of printmaking as a serious artistic vehicle in the late nineteenth century.

The bold, decisive lines and carefully constructed composition characterize the unique style Toulouse-Lautrec applied to his subjects, reflecting the transient, theatrical nature of their fame. This remarkable impression, depicting the great actor, resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. As a historic artistic work, the image is frequently made available to scholars and the wider public through collections designated as public domain.