Les Vieilles Histoires (cover/frontispiece)

Les Vieilles Histoires (cover/frontispiece) is a key graphic work created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1893. This piece is a lithograph, meticulously printed in a distinctive olive green ink on wove paper. Created toward the height of the Belle Époque, this print exemplifies the artistic vitality of French graphic arts during the transformative period stretching from 1876 to 1900.

As a master of the lithographic process, Toulouse-Lautrec leveraged the medium’s flexibility to achieve the expressive, fluid lines and broad areas of tone characteristic of his influential prints. The technique allowed the artist to produce sophisticated designs quickly, merging commercial viability with fine art execution. While the exact subject matter of the cover must harmonize with the literary content it introduces, the artist’s focus here is on evocative characterization and dynamic composition, setting the mood for the publication. This work served as the frontispiece for a volume of music or poetry, instantly giving the publication a recognizable and sophisticated visual identity.

The work showcases Toulouse-Lautrec's pioneering role in elevating commercial illustration and poster art to the level of fine art, a crucial development in late nineteenth-century artistic practice. His contributions revolutionized the aesthetic of published material and remain central to understanding the visual culture of the era. This significant piece is preserved as part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, securing its ongoing study and appreciation. Like many historical prints from this period, high-resolution images of this work are sometimes made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad access to Lautrec’s iconic visual language.