Madame Simon-Girard, Brasseur and Guy in La belle Hélène

Madame Simon-Girard, Brasseur and Guy in La belle Hélène is a significant print created by the renowned French artist, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), in 1900. This late work is classified as a lithograph executed on cream wove paper, showcasing the artist's highly distinctive graphic style shortly before his death.

Toulouse-Lautrec was deeply immersed in the theatrical and cabaret culture of late 19th-century France. This particular composition captures key performers in a production of La belle Hélène, Jacques Offenbach’s famous opéra bouffe, which satirized Greek mythology and contemporary Parisian society. The scene focuses on the celebrated figures Madame Simon-Girard, Brasseur, and Guy, capturing the dynamic and often humorous energy of the stage that so fascinated the artist.

As a recognized master of the lithographic medium, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the format to rapidly capture fleeting public moments. This technique allowed for broad areas of color and expressive line work, prioritizing the immediate energy and subtle caricature of the subjects over strict realism. This graphic approach was highly influential in the development of modern poster design and printmaking techniques across Europe.

Although the artist’s life was cut short, his extensive catalog of prints continues to define the visual history of the Belle Époque. This specific impression of Madame Simon-Girard, Brasseur and Guy in La belle Hélène is preserved within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key example of Toulouse-Lautrec’s mature graphic output. As the work is now in the public domain, it remains widely studied by scholars of French art and printmaking.