La Berceuse

La Berceuse is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec between 1895 and 1896. Classified as a Print, this remarkable work is executed as a lithograph and notably includes all the associated music sheets. This inclusion highlights the cross-pollination between high art and commercial or popular reproduction that defined French artistic output in the late 19th century.

Toulouse-Lautrec was a pivotal figure in modern printmaking, leveraging the lithographic medium to achieve the immediate, vibrant aesthetic demanded by the Parisian art market during the period 1876 to 1900. His technique employed bold outlines and distinct areas of color, capturing the spirit of the Fin de Siècle with graphic energy. While the artist is celebrated for his bustling scenes of dance halls and cabarets, this piece offers a quieter, perhaps more tender, domestic subject. The title, which translates to "The Cradle Song," suggests an intimate portrayal, typical of the observed moments that Toulouse-Lautrec elevated into high art.

The era saw the democratization of art through mass-produced prints, an area where Toulouse-Lautrec excelled, establishing graphic arts as an influential movement. This specific lithograph embodies the unique cultural moment of the French capital, where artistic boundaries between fine art and illustration were intentionally blurred.

This exemplary work, La Berceuse, demonstrates the artist's mastery of the reproductive process. Today, this vital representation of the Belle Époque resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The legacy of these influential late 19th-century works continues to thrive; many of the original prints created during this period are now part of the public domain, allowing for widespread study and appreciation.