Nib, supplement to La Revue Blanche

Nib, supplement to La Revue Blanche is a significant graphic work created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894 and published in 1895. This piece, which exemplifies the height of French printmaking during the fin-de-siècle, is classified as a print and consists specifically of three lithographs rendered on a single folded sheet. The format itself highlights the innovative ways in which artists of the period collaborated with publishers to circulate their work widely among intellectual circles.

The work was commissioned as a supplement for La Revue Blanche, an influential Parisian literary and art journal that served as a central platform for avant-garde thought and illustration. Toulouse-Lautrec was deeply involved in documenting the social realities and popular culture of his time, often utilizing the immediacy of lithography to capture characters and scenes with his characteristic economy of line. The medium allowed for rapid reproduction and dissemination, making the piece highly accessible to the magazine’s readership. The graphic output of Toulouse-Lautrec during this period cemented his reputation not only as a painter but as a master of poster design and illustration.

This particular collaboration underscores the artist’s commitment to capturing modern life and his ability to transcend the traditional boundaries between high art and popular media. The resulting prints reflect the aesthetic trends of 1894, published 1895, showcasing the bold compositions and distinctive color palettes that defined his approach. As an editioned French print from a major literary source, the piece holds high art historical importance, documenting both the development of modern graphic design and the publishing culture of Paris. This pivotal work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, serving as a vital reference point for scholars studying late 19th-century illustration. Today, access to such historically important materials, often including high-quality prints designated as public domain, ensures that the legacy of masters like Toulouse-Lautrec remains widely studied.