Madame Réjane

Madame Réjane is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1899, near the end of the artist’s prolific career. This work is a late example of the artist's dedication to printmaking as a fine art medium. The lithograph captures Léonie Anastasie Dujardin-Beaumetz (known professionally as Réjane), one of the most celebrated and expressive actresses in France during the Belle Époque. Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the planar capabilities of the printing process to emphasize form over excessive detail, a technique typical of his mature graphic style.

As a pivotal figure in documenting the social milieu of late nineteenth-century Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec regularly depicted performers, dancers, and actors, transforming ephemeral posters and theater programs into lasting works of art. His signature approach uses bold contours and stark tonal contrasts to convey the sitter's personality and professional intensity. In this portrait, Réjane is rendered with a powerful sense of presence, reflecting her stature on the French stage. The immediacy of the lithographic line lends a journalistic quality to the finished piece, embodying the spirit of the era’s entertainment culture.

Prints like Madame Réjane are vital to understanding the artist’s influence on modern graphic design and advertising. While many of Toulouse-Lautrec’s most iconic images served as limited-run announcements, the popularity and historical importance of these works ensured their preservation. This print is an important acquisition, classified as a print in the distinguished collection of graphic arts housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of its age and cultural significance within France, this celebrated work is often available for study and reproduction as part of the public domain.