Cover - Yvette Guilbert

Cover - Yvette Guilbert, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898, is a significant example of fin-de-siècle graphic arts that captures the essence of the Parisian café-concert scene. Executed as a lithograph on blue wove paper, the work showcases the artist’s mastery of the medium and his keen eye for celebrity portraiture. This piece features the singer and actress Yvette Guilbert, arguably the most iconic stage performer whom Toulouse-Lautrec routinely depicted.

The artist captures Guilbert’s distinctive silhouette and stage presence, defined by her angular posture and signature long black gloves. While earlier representations of Guilbert were often explosive posters, this later print adopts a more concise, intimate composition. Toulouse-Lautrec was drawn to women who dominated the public stage, transforming these candid performance moments into lasting visual records that defined the Belle Époque aesthetic.

As a pioneer of modern lithography, Toulouse-Lautrec elevated the print medium to the status of high art, distributing images widely and rapidly capturing the changing social fabric of Montmartre. This specific impression of Cover - Yvette Guilbert resides in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The print exemplifies the high quality of graphic work produced at the turn of the century. Reflecting its age and cultural importance, this and other seminal prints by the artist are frequently available for research and high-quality study through public domain resources.