In the Picton Bar (American Bar), rue Scribe

In the Picton Bar (American Bar), rue Scribe is a compelling lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 in 1896. This work, classified as a print, was executed on cream wove paper, showcasing the artist's characteristic mastery of the lithographic process.

The subject captures a typical scene from Belle Époque Paris, focusing on the intimate yet sometimes anonymous world of the late-night cafe and American bar. Lautrec specialized in documenting these transitional public spaces in France, eschewing academic idealism for direct observation of modern urban existence. The location referenced in the title, the Picton Bar on the rue Scribe, was a known establishment frequented by expatriates and Parisian revelers alike, providing the artist with rich material for his studies of human character.

As a prolific printmaker, Lautrec used the medium of lithography masterfully, employing broad areas of color wash and stark, rapid outlines to translate the spontaneity of his drawings into a reproducible graphic format. This technique enabled the artist to capture the transient psychological tension evident in social interactions, often isolating figures in moments of introspection or disengagement, a theme central to his graphic oeuvre. The resulting image exemplifies the economical line work and dramatic cropping often associated with his late-period output, reflecting the influence of Japanese woodblock prints and early photography. This key example of French graphic art, representing the height of Lautrec’s skill in producing commercial and fine art prints, is now preserved in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.