La Troupe de Mademoiselle Eglantine

La Troupe de Mademoiselle Eglantine, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895, is a masterful example of late 19th-century French lithography. The specific medium is a lithograph printed in three colors on machine wove paper, showcasing the artist’s technical finesse in controlling color registration and line quality. As a crucial figure in Post-Impressionist graphic arts, the artist embraced the print medium for its commercial reach and immediacy, transforming the art of poster design and illustration into serious artistic pursuits.

The subject matter, focusing on professional women dancers, is characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's intense preoccupation with the music halls and café-concerts of Montmartre. The lithograph depicts the troupe led by Mademoiselle Eglantine, captured mid-performance in a highly dynamic composition. The artist utilizes strong outlines and simplified forms, techniques borrowed from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, reflecting the harsh, artificial lighting typical of these nocturnal entertainment venues. Unlike traditional academic treatments of the figure, Toulouse-Lautrec portrayed his subjects with a powerful, often unsentimental realism, capturing both the vibrant energy and the strenuous physicality inherent in the profession of these dancing women.

This piece is a significant contribution to the history of modern graphic arts, representing the era’s fascination with urban leisure and nightlife. The work resides in the prestigious collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its historical importance means that high-resolution reproductions and prints are frequently available through public domain initiatives, ensuring continued scholarly and public access to this essential view of fin-de-siècle Parisian culture.