Le Chariot de terre cuite

Le Chariot de terre cuite is a highly refined lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This piece exemplifies the artist’s mastery of the lithographic process, rendered in an intimate palette primarily featuring blue and rose inks printed onto fine velin paper. The successful manipulation of multiple colors marks this work as a chromolithograph, a demanding technique that Toulouse-Lautrec famously elevated from its commercial origins into a leading form of French fine art during the late 19th century.

Created during the height of the Belle Époque, this work falls within the influential period between 1876 to 1900, when French artistic conventions underwent radical shifts in subject matter and representation. Toulouse-Lautrec typically focused on the marginalized and less glamorous aspects of Parisian nightlife, recording the denizens of cafés, music halls, and brothels with unflinching directness. His aesthetic departed significantly from Impressionism, favoring flat planes of color, dynamic outlines influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, and highly selective details used to capture the psychological presence of his subjects.

The subject implied by the title, Le Chariot de terre cuite (The Terracotta Cart), likely references a quotidian Parisian scene or perhaps a moment captured backstage or in the streets, reflecting the artist’s characteristic dedication to urban realism. As a master of graphic arts, Toulouse-Lautrec recognized the democratic potential of prints, and his influential body of work helped expand the public appreciation for reproducible media. This exceptional example of French graphic art is held within the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a key representation of the shift toward modern artistic practices at the turn of the century. The historical significance of such prints from this influential period often allows for increasing access through the public domain.