Mademoiselle Leconte is a compelling lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1898. Produced toward the end of the artist’s brief but prolific career, this print captures an intimate subject, reflecting the characteristic shift in French art during the fin de siècle. The work employs the specific texture and tonal range of lithography applied to tan wove paper, medium through which Lautrec achieved both broad circulation for his commercial work and nuanced subtlety for private portraits such as this.
Lautrec was a dedicated observer of human character, utilizing the precise yet suggestive lines afforded by the printing process to develop character studies. Though recognized globally for his vibrant posters documenting the kinetic energy of Montmartre nightlife, this portrait demonstrates his equally masterful skill in quiet, psychological depiction. The classification as a print confirms the artist’s commitment to graphic media, positioning him as one of the great draftsmen and innovators in the history of French art.
Executed in 1898, the work represents the mature style of Lautrec, displaying an economy of form that enhances the expressiveness of the subject. The delicacy and technique visible in the lithograph solidify its importance within Post-Impressionist printmaking. Mademoiselle Leconte is currently maintained in the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing to the study of turn-of-the-century French works available in the public domain.