Plate 5 (in-text plate, folio 8) from Yvette Guilbert, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894, represents a key component of the artist’s graphic output dedicated to chronicling Parisian nightlife. This piece is one of seventeen lithographs, including the cover, compiled for the illustrated book project focusing entirely on the celebrated French singer and actress. As a crucial example of the Illustrated Book genre from the late nineteenth century, the work currently resides in the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Toulouse-Lautrec masterfully employed the medium of lithography, favoring its ability to produce immediate, linear compositions that captured the kinetic energy of stage performance. The series dedicated to Guilbert highlights the cabaret star's distinctive persona, focusing often on her gaunt figure, expressive face, and signature long black gloves. Produced in 1894, the lithographs served not just as portraits but as visual documents of the shifting cultural landscape of the fin-de-siècle. The artist was renowned for blending the aesthetics of fine art prints with the bold visual language of commercial posters, establishing him as a central figure in modern graphic design.
The entire publication, Yvette Guilbert, is highly valued today for its intimate portrayal of a subject who was both muse and contemporary to Toulouse-Lautrec. He viewed Guilbert as the epitome of the modern performer, often exaggerating her features to communicate theatrical intensity. This particular plate maintains the artist's characteristic economy of line and strong compositional structure. The series, embodying the vibrant culture of 1894 French artistic society, is essential to understanding the evolution of the illustrated monograph. MoMA’s dedication to preserving works classified as Illustrated Books ensures that these powerful prints, which occasionally enter the public domain, remain accessible for historical and artistic study, affirming Toulouse-Lautrec's legacy as a master printmaker.
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