Program for "Benefice Gemier" (Programme du "Bénéfice Gémier")

Program for "Benefice Gemier" (Programme du "Bénéfice Gémier") is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1897. This black-and-white print, executed in black ink on velin paper, exemplifies the artist's sophisticated handling of the lithographic medium, even when restricting the palette. As one of the most significant figures in French art during the period spanning 1876 to 1900, Toulouse-Lautrec frequently employed commercial prints and posters to document the vibrant and often gritty social life of Paris.

The subject of the work is the cover design for a benefice, a special performance or fundraiser, suggesting the piece served a practical, ephemeral function as promotional material for a theatrical or social event. This emphasis on commissioned graphic design was characteristic of the era, where Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the rapid reproducibility of prints to disseminate his unique aesthetic. His style, characterized by simplified forms, expressive outlines, and dynamic compositional energy, translates effectively from his famed color posters into this starker, linear format. The resulting image maintains the artist's signature approach to capturing movement and character study.

This design offers insight into the breadth of Toulouse-Lautrec's commercial commissions executed near the end of his prolific career. The enduring legacy of this French artist ensures that his lithographs remain essential resources for studying Post-Impressionist graphic arts. This impression of the work is part of the substantial collection of the National Gallery of Art, contributing to the museum's holdings of late 19th-century commercial art. Art historians often study high-resolution images of such works, many of which are now widely accessible through public domain initiatives, to understand the evolution of illustration and advertising art during this pivotal transitional period.