Last Ballad (Ultime ballade)

Last Ballad (Ultime ballade) is a significant 1893 lithograph in black created by the celebrated French artist, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This highly detailed print, executed on fine Japan paper, demonstrates Toulouse-Lautrec’s characteristic skill in exploiting the potential of the medium. The classification of this artwork as a print places it within the thriving market of graphic arts that defined the period 1876 to 1900.

The work originates from the height of Toulouse-Lautrec's career, a time when he intensively documented the theatrical and nocturnal life of fin-de-siècle Paris. As a crucial figure in the Post-Impressionist movement, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized lithography not merely for reproduction, but as a primary artistic medium capable of capturing the dynamic energy of modern urban existence. The process allowed the artist flexibility in developing rich blacks and nuanced grey tones, often emphasizing the immediate power of line and silhouette. The resulting style, seen clearly in this piece, is inherently graphic and informed his revolutionary poster designs.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s mastery of the lithographic stone cemented his legacy as a leading innovator in graphic arts. Works such as Last Ballad exemplify the French artistic preoccupation with performance, fame, and the fleeting moments witnessed in cabarets and concert halls. Such reproductive methods allowed the artist’s output to reach a much wider audience than traditional painting. Today, this influential work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. and contributes to the study of 19th-century art. As a historical work, the imagery often enters the public domain, ensuring that the important artistic contributions of Toulouse-Lautrec are accessible for academic research and public appreciation of great prints.