Louise Balthy, from Treize Lithographies

"Louise Balthy, from Treize Lithographies" is a profound lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1898. This late-career print utilized the versatile medium of lithography executed on ivory laid paper, a format the artist preferred for its ability to convey immediate, intimate observations with a graphic economy of line.

Executed near the end of the 19th century in France, this piece belongs to the celebrated suite of prints known as Treize Lithographies (Thirteen Lithographs). Toulouse-Lautrec, a master draftsman, employed the complex printmaking technique to capture subtle tonal shifts and texture, moving beyond the flatness often associated with standard commercial posters of the era. He specialized in chronicling the often-unromanticized lives of figures within the Parisian entertainment world and bohemian circles.

While the specific identity and role of the subject, Louise Balthy, remains ambiguous, the portrait adheres to Lautrec's characteristic style of candid observation. The resulting print provides a glimpse into the individual personalities that populated the social landscape of fin de siècle Paris. This exceptional example of French graphic arts from 1864-1901 is held within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As an important part of the museum's holdings, this work contributes significantly to the understanding of the artist's legacy, and similar prints are frequently made accessible to researchers globally through various public domain initiatives.