Pessima, plate three from Yvette Guilbert

Pessima, plate three from Yvette Guilbert by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) is a seminal example of fin-de-siècle graphic arts. Created in 1898, this important print utilizes the lithograph technique, characterized by a nuanced crayon application rendered in a rich purple or violet ink. The artwork is executed on cream wove paper and carefully presented, hinged at the top corners to a gray-brown wove backing paper, reflecting its historical cataloging. This specific image is part of a celebrated series documenting the famous French cabaret star, Yvette Guilbert, a frequent and essential subject for the artist.

Toulouse-Lautrec was instrumental in elevating printmaking to the status of fine art, utilizing the medium to capture the electric and sometimes decadent world of Parisian entertainment. As a central figure in modern art in France, his works defined the visual culture of the Belle Époque, focusing on expressive portraiture and the theater. The 1898 edition was printed by the Westminster Press and later published by the firm Ernest Brown & Phillips, which facilitated the distribution of these influential prints across Europe and beyond. The concentrated use of color and economical, yet expressive, lines in the depiction of Pessima captures the characteristic theatrical energy and recognizable profile of Guilbert.

This classification as a print confirms the piece's role in the popularization of modern art through reproducible media. The work resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a significant record of late 19th-century graphic mastery. Like many works by this post-Impressionist master, many of Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential prints are now widely accessible through resources dedicated to public domain materials.