Polin from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies)

Polin from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a key example of the French artist's late nineteenth-century printmaking practice. Executed in 1898, this specific work is one of thirteen lithographs comprising a celebrated portfolio dedicated to the stage celebrities and entertainers who defined the vibrant Parisian nightlife. The subject, Polin (Paul Marcel Polin), was a renowned chansonnier known for his distinctive, often sentimental performances at the era’s burgeoning café-concerts.

As a master of the printed form, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the lithographic process to capture the energy and often raw character of his subjects. This particular print emphasizes the performer’s profile, rendered with the sharp, decisive lines characteristic of the artist’s mature period. The image relies on subtle contrasts and economical shading to model Polin’s features, underscoring the melancholy or expressive persona he presented on stage. Unlike the sprawling color posters that brought Toulouse-Lautrec immediate fame, this portfolio highlights the artist's skill in intimate, psychological portraiture, capturing the individual essence of figures in the French entertainment world just before the turn of the century.

The entire Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices series is crucial to understanding Toulouse-Lautrec's role as a primary visual chronicler of fin-de-siècle Parisian life. The artist's commitment to capturing these ephemeral figures elevated figures of the stage, transforming them into lasting artistic subjects. This work, produced in 1898, is classified as a print and remains an important holding in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) collection, serving as an enduring representation of graphic art from this period.