Shooting Stars (Étoiles filantes) from Quatorze lithographies originales (Mélodies de Désiré Dihau)

Shooting Stars (Étoiles filantes) from Quatorze lithographies originales (Mélodies de Désiré Dihau) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a celebrated example of fin-de-siècle French graphic arts, conceived in 1895. This work is an integral part of an illustrated book project, a suite of prints intended to accompany the musical compositions of Désiré Dihau, a close friend and acquaintance of the artist. The project links the visual flair of the Post-Impressionist era with the lyrical structures of contemporary music.

Toulouse-Lautrec expertly rendered this image as a lithograph, showcasing the medium's unique expressive potential. The quality of the line work and the atmospheric application of ink demonstrate the artist's dedication to the print process, which allowed for broader distribution and artistic experimentation. During this period, Toulouse-Lautrec was instrumental in elevating commercial printmaking to a high art form, though works like Étoiles filantes reveal a capacity for more lyrical illustration tied to musical and celestial themes, moving beyond his famous documentation of Parisian cabarets.

The classification of this piece as an illustrated book component speaks to the collaborative nature of art and music prevalent in the 1890s. Although the individual works were designed in 1895, the full portfolio, Quatorze lithographies originales, was not formally published until 1935, decades after the artist’s death. This late publication date ensured that the complete series of prints entered the permanent historical record, cementing its importance to the history of graphic arts. Shooting Stars provides crucial insight into the breadth of Toulouse-Lautrec’s technical output. This important French lithograph is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.