Luce Myrès (Front View)

Luce Myrès (Front View) is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895. This nuanced portrait of a woman exemplifies the artist’s innovative approach to graphic media and his consistent focus on figures from the Parisian demimonde during the fin de siècle.

The work is executed as a crayon and spatter lithograph printed in sanguine on wove paper. This choice of materials yields a distinctive visual texture; the sanguine ink, a reddish-brown color reminiscent of chalk drawings, lends the image a soft, immediacy. Notably, this impression represents the only state of the print produced by the artist, highlighting the unique nature of this particular study.

Toulouse-Lautrec dedicated much of his career to chronicling the entertainers, performers, and residents of the Montmartre district. While known for his dynamic advertising posters, pieces like Luce Myrès (Front View) offer a more intimate, psychological exploration. The subject's contemplative gaze, rendered with Toulouse-Lautrec's characteristic economy of line, captures a moment of quiet introspection rather than public spectacle.

This technically refined character study is a vital entry in the artist’s prolific output of prints, demonstrating his influential role in establishing lithography as a major medium for fine art in the 1890s. The work is held in the comprehensive collection of graphics at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dating from 1895, the original image has entered the public domain, ensuring that digital copies and high-quality reproductions of these historic prints remain widely accessible for artistic and academic study.