Plate 1 (in-text plate, folio 4) from Yvette Guilbert

Plate 1 (in-text plate, folio 4) from Yvette Guilbert is a significant lithographic print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This piece forms part of an illustrated book dedicated to the celebrated French singer and dancer Yvette Guilbert, whom Toulouse-Lautrec frequently sketched and painted. The complete volume contains seventeen original lithographs, including the cover, demonstrating the artist's deep engagement with reproductive media as a means of documenting and distributing images of contemporary Parisian life. The classification of the work as an illustrated book underscores its role not just as an individual image, but as a component of a cohesive narrative project.

As a leading figure in post-Impressionist art, Toulouse-Lautrec excelled in the creation of prints and posters, elevating graphic arts to fine art status. Lithography allowed him to achieve the swift, spontaneous lines crucial for capturing the movement and unique character of his subjects. The focus on Yvette Guilbert provided the artist a powerful muse, enabling him to explore themes of modern celebrity and the dynamic social environment of late 19th-century France. This particular plate, dating from 1894, exemplifies Lautrec’s distinctive use of sparse color and powerful caricature, often emphasizing Guilbert's famous long black gloves and expressive facial features.

This collection of illustrations is considered a critical example of the illustrated book genre and solidified Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation as the visual chronicler of Montmartre. The Yvette Guilbert series, originating from the highly productive artistic output of French culture in the 1890s, maintains immense historical importance for its directness and unflinching observational quality. Original impressions of the full book, such as this one, are often preserved for their historical fidelity and the quality of their execution. This work currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, ensuring its accessibility for study and appreciation alongside other masterpieces of modern graphics. Due to their age and historical relevance, works like this sometimes enter the public domain, further extending the artist’s legacy.