Elles (portfolio cover)

Elles (portfolio cover) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1896, is an exemplary piece of commercial prints that defined fin-de-siècle graphic art. This catalog classification describes the work as a sophisticated crayon, brush, and spatter lithograph printed in a warm brown ink on delicate Japan paper. The impression is designated as the first state of three, showcasing the technical mastery Toulouse-Lautrec achieved on the printing stone. This image served as the introductory cover for the complete Elles portfolio, a pivotal series of ten lithographs focused on the private lives of women in Parisian brothels.

The composition captures a woman in an intimate, fleeting moment, adjusting or contemplating a large, fashionable hat that dominates the upper portion of the frame. Through bold, expressive lines and economical use of color, Toulouse-Lautrec renders the scene with remarkable immediacy. Unlike many contemporaries who sensationalized the lives of sex workers, the artist adopted an unusually sympathetic and un-sensationalized approach in the Elles series. His focus was consistently on the subjects' humanity, emphasizing their domesticity and mundane daily routines rather than their professional roles.

The innovative application of the lithographic process, particularly the combination of textural crayon effects and the controlled randomness of the brush spatter, allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to mimic the spontaneity of drawing while mass-producing high-quality fine art prints. The success of these prints cemented the artist's legacy as a pioneer of the medium. This highly significant work remains a crucial document for understanding both Toulouse-Lautrec’s unique viewpoint and the cultural currents of the Belle Époque. This important piece is maintained in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.