For You (Pour toi!...)

For You (Pour toi!...) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a key example of the French graphic arts produced during the period spanning 1876 to 1900. Created in 1893, the work is a lithograph executed solely in black ink, a medium that Toulouse-Lautrec embraced for its reproducibility and graphic power. Unlike traditional oil painting, lithography allowed the artist to circulate his compositions widely, contributing significantly to the burgeoning poster and print culture of the Parisian Fin de siècle.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation rests on his immediate, unromanticized depiction of modern urban life, specifically focusing on the theaters, circuses, and brothels of Montmartre. The artist utilized the lithograph in black to achieve a striking immediacy and economy of line. This technique captures the transient expressions and poses of his subjects with a raw energy that distinguishes his work from his academic contemporaries. The print medium was essential to his exploration of character, giving him an accessible way to document the social dynamics and cultural environment of French society at the turn of the century.

The subject matter of For You (Pour toi!...) aligns with Toulouse-Lautrec's characteristic interest in candid observation. The direct title suggests an intimacy between the subject and the viewer, reflective of the personal, often journalistic style the artist applied to his prints. This work, along with his celebrated series of posters and single-sheet lithographs, firmly established Toulouse-Lautrec as a master of modern printmaking. Today, the enduring popularity of these influential prints means many versions are available through initiatives dedicated to making public domain art widely accessible. This impression is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., where it represents a crucial moment in the history of graphic arts.