Jeanne Hading

Jeanne Hading is a significant lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This Print exemplifies the artist's focus on intimate portraiture and the theater world during the late 19th century. Toulouse-Lautrec, a foundational figure in Post-Impressionism, often used the medium of lithography to capture the dynamic personalities and fleeting moments of Parisian life. The work falls within the defining timeframe of the French Belle Époque, specifically the years 1876 to 1900, a period marked by rapid social change and artistic innovation.

The technical execution of this piece is characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's masterful command of the graphic arts. It is rendered as a lithograph in black on hand-made paper, emphasizing stark contrasts and expressive lines rather than the vibrant color palette he often employed in his large-scale posters. The choice of the lithographic process allowed for rapid creation and wider dissemination, making these prints accessible and influencing contemporary graphic design across the 1876 to 1900 era. While the exact context of the subject, Jeanne Hading, is not overtly detailed, Toulouse-Lautrec typically focused on actors, dancers, and performers, capturing their essence with psychological depth and an economy of line, prioritizing character over idealization.

This impression of Jeanne Hading resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work showcases how Toulouse-Lautrec bridged the gap between traditional fine art and commercial mediums, using his sharp observational skills to document modern society. Since many works from this prolific period are digitized, high-quality images of the artist’s prints are often made available through museum initiatives, sometimes entering the public domain for scholarly and general appreciation. The piece remains a key example of Toulouse-Lautrec's legacy as a critical chronicler of the French stage.