Plate 4 (in-text plate, folio 7) from Yvette Guilbert

Plate 4 (in-text plate, folio 7) from Yvette Guilbert is a significant work by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1894. This piece is one of seventeen individual lithographs that compose the illustrated book dedicated to the celebrated cabaret performer, Yvette Guilbert. As a master of the print medium, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the graphic potential of lithography to capture the dynamic, often satirical, energy of fin-de-siècle Paris, classifying the entire collection as an essential Illustrated Book in the history of French modernism.

The subject, Yvette Guilbert, was an iconic figure in the artistic circles of Montmartre during the Belle Époque. Toulouse-Lautrec, deeply embedded in the Parisian entertainment scene, created this portfolio of visual portraits in 1894, eschewing traditional illustration in favor of acute psychological observation. The nature of these high-quality prints allowed for a wide dissemination of the artist’s interpretations, capturing Guilbert’s distinctive silhouette and dramatic stage presence, often emphasizing her elongated, angular figure and signature long black gloves.

Toulouse-Lautrec's unique sketches and characteristically rapid lines translate seamlessly into the lithographic process, lending the work an immediacy and journalistic observational quality that defined his style. He excelled at distilling a personality or fleeting moment into stark, yet evocative, graphic form.

This work demonstrates the artist's critical role in elevating poster art and graphic design to the status of fine art. The full portfolio serves as an invaluable record of the Bohemian cultural landscape of the late 19th century. This particular print, Plate 4 (in-text plate, folio 7) from Yvette Guilbert, resides in the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where it contributes to a comprehensive representation of Toulouse-Lautrec’s groundbreaking contributions to modern graphic arts.