La Goulue, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 in 1894, is a defining example of the artist’s dedication to capturing the dynamic, often scandalous, social life of 19th-century Montmartre. This influential work is classified as a print, specifically a lithograph on ivory wove paper, showcasing Lautrec's technical mastery of the demanding, yet expressive, lithographic process.
Produced during a period when the bohemian culture of France was rapidly becoming commercialized, the work documents Louise Weber, nicknamed "La Goulue" (The Glutton), the notorious and influential can-can dancer of the Moulin Rouge. Lautrec was a keen observer of the French entertainment scene, utilizing the print medium to capture candid, often gritty, depictions of nightlife. The widespread circulation of such prints served both as fine art for collectors and as popular advertisement, helping define the visual style of the Belle Époque.
The lithograph medium provided Lautrec the speed and flexibility necessary to achieve vibrant color saturation and spontaneous, sketch-like line quality, effectively conveying the raw energy and artificial lighting of the cabarets. The immediacy of this process aligns perfectly with the fleeting, instantaneous nature of the modern spectacle he documented. This important 1894 piece is preserved in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains a cornerstone example of the late 19th-century French poster revival and the development of modern graphic arts, highly sought after today even as public domain reproductions.
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