Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender, Standing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 is an iconic color lithograph created in 1895. This significant print captures the French stage performer Marcelle Lender, a celebrated figure in the theatrical world of Paris during the fin-de-siècle. Toulouse-Lautrec, renowned for his penetrating observations of Montmartre nightlife, consistently used printmaking to document and disseminate the images of contemporary celebrities, bridging the gap between high art and popular culture across France.
The work is executed as a color lithograph on cream wove paper, showcasing Toulouse-Lautrec’s technical mastery of the demanding printing medium. The composition utilizes simplified forms, dynamic lines, and carefully chosen color combinations, reflecting the pervasive influence of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints on Parisian artists of the period. Lender is depicted standing, radiating the distinctive posture and presence required for her stage roles. This piece is less a formal portrait and more an immediate, energetic sketch of a fleeting moment, emphasizing the artificiality and glamour inherent in the lives of public performers whom Toulouse-Lautrec frequently immortalized.
As a central example of the artist’s graphic production, this image belongs to a series of highly influential posters and prints produced during the mid-1890s. The work is held in the extensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference for studying the history of graphic arts and modern printmaking. Given the age and widespread impact of this 1895 piece, high-quality prints and reproductions are often featured in discussions regarding historic artworks entering the public domain, ensuring continued accessibility for study.