Emilienne d'Alençon from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d’Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies) is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898. This work is one of thirteen individual lithographs comprising a celebrated portfolio dedicated to the famous performers who defined Parisian nightlife during the fin-de-siècle. The piece captures Emilienne d'Alençon, a highly visible dancer, actress, and prominent courtesan whose public presence was synonymous with the vibrant, often scandalous, entertainment culture of Montmartre. Toulouse-Lautrec positioned himself as the visual historian of this world, keenly interested in documenting the fleeting celebrity and the theatricality of French society.
Executed in the demanding medium of lithography, this technique allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to translate the spontaneous energy of his rapid observational sketches into mass-reproducible prints. Dating from 1898, this portfolio marks the zenith of the artist’s engagement with popular media, reflecting his mastery of line and composition previously honed through commercial poster design. Unlike idealized portraits, Toulouse-Lautrec rendered his subjects with piercing psychological insight and unvarnished realism. D’Alençon is depicted with the sharp, decisive outline and reductive color palette characteristic of the artist’s mature style, reflecting the influence of Japanese woodcuts and Impressionist immediacy. The aesthetic precision and unflinching gaze cemented Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation among the modern French masters.
The complete portfolio, Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies, is considered a crucial visual document of turn-of-the-century portraiture and printmaking. This particular image of D'Alençon is housed within the prestigious collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its importance in the history of modern prints. Due to the enduring historical interest in Toulouse-Lautrec’s documentation of Parisian life, many of these influential 1898 images are today widely circulated in the public domain, ensuring their continued accessibility for study and appreciation worldwide.
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