Réjane and Galipaux, in Madame Sans-Géne

Réjane and Galipaux, in Madame Sans-Géne by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1893, captures the dramatic energy of the Parisian stage. This important print is a crayon lithograph on delicate Japan paper, existing in only a single state, emphasizing its rarity and the artist's immediate, spontaneous drafting style. Toulouse-Lautrec, renowned for his penetrating observations of late 19th-century Montmartre, masterfully documented the era’s celebrated actors and dancers.

The subject depicts two highly respected performers, Réjane and Galipaux, in character during a performance of Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau’s hit play, Madame Sans-Géne. The lithograph focuses on the dynamic interaction between the two figures, highlighting the movement of the Women and Men on stage. The artist’s characteristic use of bold lines and sparse color brings intensity to the scene, typical of his innovative approach to printmaking. Toulouse-Lautrec often sketched performers backstage or during rehearsals, giving his prints an intimate, journalistic quality that sets them apart from typical theatrical portraiture.

This particular work exemplifies the artist's fascination with the energy of performance, especially scenes involving Dancing or heightened physical drama. The piece is classified as a Print and belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a crucial document of the fin-de-siècle theater world and the evolution of modern graphic arts. As a celebrated example of a Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph, it is frequently referenced in studies of turn-of-the-century prints and the development of poster art.