Drunkard (Soularde)

Drunkard (Soularde) is a compelling lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898. This late-period print exemplifies the artist's sustained focus on marginalized subjects and the gritty realities of Parisian nightlife, reflecting the social commentary characteristic of the French period spanning 1876 to 1900. Executed through the technically demanding process of lithography, the composition is starkly rendered in black and beige, emphasizing line, shadow, and expressive form over complex coloration.

The work belongs firmly to the Post-Impressionist era, a time when artists like Toulouse-Lautrec moved away from the sensory focus of Impressionism toward more narrative and psychologically charged depictions. As an observer of Montmartre, Toulouse-Lautrec consistently documented the lives of cabaret performers, impoverished workers, and the disenfranchised. This print captures a solitary figure defined by the physical and psychological toll of intoxication, embodying the era's fascination with the urban environment and its overlooked inhabitants.

Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the lithographic technique with great mastery, employing deep, saturated blacks and subtle tonal variations within the beige ground to intensify the mood of isolation and despair. The simplicity of the palette ensures that the viewer’s attention remains fixed on the figure’s posture and circumstance. This genre of prints depicting working-class subjects contributes significantly to the visual record of late 19th-century Parisian culture. This significant lithograph is classified as a foundational work in modern printmaking and resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it represents the influential legacy of French art available in the public domain.