Poster for Elles

The Poster for Elles by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901), created in 1896, is a definitive example of Parisian fin de siècle printmaking. Executed as a color lithograph on cream wove paper, the work showcases Toulouse-Lautrec’s characteristic mastery of the medium, employing simplified, powerful forms and dynamic lines often inspired by Japanese woodblock prints. The production of such large-scale color prints placed the artist at the forefront of the French poster art movement, where graphic design began to merge with fine art, serving both commercial and cultural purposes.

This striking print functioned as the cover sheet for the artist’s seminal portfolio, Elles, a series of ten lithographs focused on the intimate, daily lives of women living and working in authorized Parisian brothels, or maisons closes. Unlike many artists of the period who sensationalized these women, Toulouse-Lautrec provided an observational, empathetic view, capturing quiet moments of rest and domestic routine rather than overt performance. The composition often centers on two figures rendered with the loose, atmospheric technique typical of his extensive output. This piece is reflective of the artist's deep, almost journalistic immersion into the hidden corners of late 19th-century Parisian society.

Created just five years before his death, this lithograph cemented Toulouse-Lautrec’s reputation as both a keen social chronicler and a master of modern advertising techniques. His innovative deployment of color lithography and his focus on contemporary French life profoundly influenced the trajectory of prints as an artistic medium. This historically significant print is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, testifying to the enduring value and cultural importance of the Elles series.