Luce Myrès, Front View

Luce Myrès, Front View by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, dated 1895, is a compelling example of the artist’s prolific output in graphic arts during the Belle Époque. Executed as a color lithograph on cream wove paper, the print medium allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to produce work that captured the immediacy and commercial vibrancy of contemporary Parisian life. This classification of the work as a print underscores the artist’s innovative approach to mass media, blurring the lines between commercial illustration and fine art.

The subject, Luce Myrès, was a celebrated performer in the cabarets and theaters of Montmartre, a world Lautrec intimately documented. This portrait presents her in a direct, frontal composition, reflecting the artist’s commitment to candid, unvarnished depictions of the figures he encountered. Unlike idealized portraits, Lautrec utilized the expressive potential of the lithograph to emphasize character through bold outline and sharply defined patches of color. His works serve as one of the most enduring visual histories of nightlife in France during the 1890s, often giving focus to marginalized yet powerful women who defined the entertainment culture of the era.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s technical mastery ensured that the reproductive prints from this period became highly collectible artworks themselves. This exemplary piece is recognized as a key component of the artist’s graphic corpus and is preserved within the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As one of the most significant European artists working in prints during this time, Lautrec’s contributions continue to influence graphic design, with high-quality reproductions of this work available today, ensuring its availability as part of the public domain heritage.