Supper in London (Souper à Londres)

Supper in London (Souper à Londres) is a significant lithograph created by the French master Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This finely detailed print exemplifies the late 19th-century fascination with nocturnal Parisian social life, filtered through the artist’s distinctive, reportorial style.

As a prolific producer of both posters and limited-edition fine art prints, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the lithographic process to capture the dynamic energy and complex, often cynical observation defining fin-de-siècle culture. This particular work, dating specifically to 1896, reflects the artist's focus on intimate, frequently shadowy scenes drawn from the cafes, theaters, and private gatherings that were his primary subject matter. Although titled for an English setting, the sensibility and graphic style are consistent with the artist's observations of Montmartre.

The preparation of this lithograph allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to experiment with texture and tone rarely seen in commercial prints of the era. The greasy crayon used on the lithographic stone provided a velvety richness and deep blacks, distinguishing this fine art print from mere illustration. The subtlety of shading, despite the inherently graphic nature of the print medium, emphasizes the intimacy and atmosphere of the depicted scene, where figures are gathered around a table during a late-night meal. Toulouse-Lautrec frequently documented the lives of society figures, performers, and marginalized individuals, lending his prints a journalistic immediacy combined with high artistic skill.

This powerful example of French printmaking from the 1890s remains a key artifact documenting European nightlife at the close of the 19th century. This exceptional lithograph is classified as a masterwork of post-Impressionist graphic design and is held within the renowned collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). As with many influential prints created during this time, the enduring popularity and historical importance of this work ensure its continued study, and high-resolution reproductions of such pieces sometimes enter the public domain, offering widespread access to Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential artistic output.