Luce Myres Full Face (Luce Myrès, de face)

Luce Myres Full Face (Luce Myrès, de face) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a significant lithograph created in 1895. This work exemplifies the artist’s dedication to printmaking, a medium he highly favored for its immediacy and its ability to capture the fleeting moments and characteristic figures of contemporary Parisian life. As a lithograph, this piece relies on the artist’s careful application of grease and water repulsion to achieve the broad, fluid lines and subtle tonal variations that define his unique graphic style during the 1890s.

The piece belongs to the period designated as 1876 to 1900, a culturally transformative era in French history known as the Belle Époque. Toulouse-Lautrec was renowned for eschewing academic traditions in favor of documenting the performers, singers, and marginalized figures of Montmartre. While the sitter, Luce Myrès, is not as widely documented as some of the artist’s more famous muses, this portrait retains the unidealized psychological intensity that Toulouse-Lautrec brought to all his subjects. The composition presents Myrès in a stark, frontal pose, using the sharp contrasts inherent in the black-and-white print to emphasize her expression and features.

The work stands as a testament to Toulouse-Lautrec’s skill in capturing character through graphic means, cementing his reputation as a pioneering figure in modern graphic art. Like many important prints from this period, the work was often intended for limited edition distribution, though its historical significance means that high-resolution images are frequently released into the public domain for scholarly use. This essential piece of French art history is held within the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art.