Marie-Louise Marsy from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies)

Marie-Louise Marsy from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies) is a significant French print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898. This piece functions specifically as the lithographed cover for a portfolio containing a series of thirteen individual prints documenting the leading figures of the Parisian stage at the close of the 19th century. The unique production technique combines the fine-art quality of lithography, used for rendering the portrait image, with the efficiency of letterpress, utilized for the surrounding text and publishing details.

Toulouse-Lautrec was fundamentally dedicated to capturing the social dynamics of the era, focusing particularly on the theaters, cabarets, and cafés of Montmartre. This portfolio, however, shifts attention toward the celebrated and established figures of the legitimate stage, such as the prominent actress Marie-Louise Marsy, who performed regularly at the prestigious Comédie-Française. The artist employs his characteristic visual language-a dynamic, gestural approach to line combined with economical color-to capture the subject. While less overtly dramatic than his earlier posters, this work retains the directness and psychological penetration that defines Toulouse-Lautrec’s portraiture.

As an essential component of the artist's graphic output, this print demonstrates the potential of lithography to serve both artistic and commercial publication purposes. Classified as a key French print from 1898, the work represents the culmination of Toulouse-Lautrec’s exploration of the stage. This specific example of Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs is held within the distinguished collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Due to the nature of graphic editions, many fine prints by Toulouse-Lautrec are now referenced widely in art scholarship and accessible through public domain archives.