Tailpiece from Au Pied du Sinaï

The work titled Tailpiece from Au Pied du Sinaï was created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 in 1897. This specific version is classified as a print, reproduced from an original lithograph on cream wove paper. Toulouse-Lautrec was among the most innovative printmakers working in France during the 1890s, utilizing the medium of lithography to capture the dynamic, often ephemeral atmosphere of Parisian commercial publishing and nightlife. His extensive artistic output from this period helped define the visual aesthetic of the fin de siècle.

The original lithograph served as a small illustration for Georges Clemenceau’s 1898 text, Au Pied du Sinaï. The book, which examined aspects of Jewish culture and daily life in the late 19th century, provided Lautrec with unique subject matter beyond his usual focus on the Montmartre cabaret scene. While many of his earlier pieces were bold, large-scale posters, this project demonstrated Lautrec’s versatility as an illustrator. The composition of this tailpiece, a concise visual element typically placed at the end of a chapter, closes a textual section with a definitive flourish, indicative of refined French book design.

This piece, created in 1897, exemplifies Lautrec's mastery of subtle yet expressive commercial prints and illustration. Though a reproduction, the work maintains the characteristic brevity and sharp linearity of the artist’s original design. As a highly influential historical figure whose prolific work spanned the critical transition between the 19th and 20th centuries, many of Lautrec’s prints and illustrations are now widely accessible for scholarly examination and reproduction, often available through the public domain due to their age. This important example of his graphic work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.