Sleep (Le sommeil)

Sleep (Le sommeil) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1896, is an exceptional example of the artist's mastery of the lithographic medium. This striking French print was executed using red ink on laid paper, a technique emphasizing the linear quality and expressive simplicity that defined Toulouse-Lautrec’s late career. The piece, classified as a print, places it firmly within the graphic arts resurgence that characterized the period spanning 1876 to 1900, when artists turned increasingly toward commercially viable and widely disseminated forms.

Toulouse-Lautrec frequently depicted scenes of Parisian nightlife and domesticity, often focusing on figures from marginalized communities or capturing the private moments of ordinary people. The subject of the work portrays a figure in deep repose, creating a profound sense of vulnerability and relaxation, characteristic of a subject completely unaware of being observed. The artist’s style rejected the formal structures of academic art, instead embracing the immediacy and dramatic cropping influenced by Japanese woodblock prints and early photography.

The use of the single color, red, enhances the warmth and immediate sensuality of the composition. By simplifying forms and minimizing unnecessary detail, Toulouse-Lautrec prioritizes emotional resonance and intimate observation. This aesthetic approach cemented his role as a leading figure in Post-Impressionist art and a celebrated visual chronicler of his era. This crucial print, which remains a powerful visual document from the end of the nineteenth century, is held in the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it contributes significantly to the museum's holdings of French graphic arts production.