Paula Brébion (from Le Café Concert)

Paula Brébion (from Le Café Concert) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1893, is an important example of the artist’s groundbreaking use of the print medium to document the vibrant nocturnal life of fin-de-siècle Paris. The work is a brush lithograph, meticulously printed in a distinct light olive green ink on delicate laid japan paper. This specific impression comes from the rare deluxe edition published in 1893, representing the only state of the print run.

Toulouse-Lautrec was deeply fascinated by the performers and patrons inhabiting the city’s dance halls and cabarets. Paula Brébion, an actress and singer, was one of the many women who were central figures in the bohemian world he documented. Unlike traditional portraiture, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the immediacy and freedom of the lithographic process to convey character and atmosphere rather than idealized beauty. The medium’s fluid nature allows for sweeping lines and tonal variations, effectively translating the candid, fleeting expressions characteristic of the entertainment circuit.

As a significant classification of prints from this era, this work demonstrates Toulouse-Lautrec’s profound impact on graphic arts and the development of modern poster design. His insightful documentation of Parisian society is highly valued today. This lithograph currently resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York. Due to the age and classification of prints like this, high-resolution reproductions often enter the public domain, ensuring this iconic depiction of 19th-century Parisian women remains accessible for study and appreciation worldwide.