Francis Jourdain

Francis Jourdain is a singular drypoint work created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898. Classified formally as a component of a larger portfolio, this piece exemplifies the highly reductive and intensely expressive graphic style that defined French art during the period spanning 1876 to 1900. Toulouse-Lautrec, a prolific printmaker, favored intaglio methods like drypoint because they allowed him to capture the immediate essence of his sitters with great spontaneity. The drypoint needle directly scratches the copper plate, pulling up a distinctive burr of metal that retains ink, yielding the rich, velvety quality of line visible in this impression.

As a master chronicler of Fin de siècle Parisian life, Toulouse-Lautrec frequently depicted his personal circle, theater personalities, and figures associated with the city’s bohemian subculture. While the specific context of the sitter, Francis Jourdain, is subtle, the composition focuses sharply on character, using the bare minimum of visual information required to convey presence. This approach highlights the artist's ability to fuse observational reportage with powerful artistic caricature. The work’s power resides in the dynamic tension between the stark reality of the printed line and the suggested energy of the portrait subject, cementing Toulouse-Lautrec's reputation as a pivotal figure in modern graphic arts.

This important French work is permanently housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it contributes significantly to the institution's comprehensive holdings of late 19th-century prints. The inclusion of Francis Jourdain in the NGA’s print room confirms its value as a key artifact of the artist’s highly influential graphic output produced during this productive era. Like many works created between 1876 to 1900 that now reside in major institutions, high-resolution images of the composition are sometimes made available through public domain initiatives, encouraging broader academic study and wider appreciation of the technical mastery inherent in Toulouse-Lautrec's printmaking.