The Animal-Tamer before the Tribunal

"The Animal-Tamer before the Tribunal" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, is a significant lithograph executed on cream wove paper in 1899. This late work falls within the final period of the artist’s career, demonstrating his enduring fascination with the spectacles and often-marginalized figures of modern Parisian life.

As a master of the graphic arts, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the lithographic process to capture expressive character studies with immediacy. While the artist is most commonly associated with dancers and cabaret singers of Montmartre, this particular work explores the specialized world of the circus or traveling performers. The subject, an animal-tamer appearing before a court or tribunal, offers a glimpse into the legal troubles or public scrutiny faced by these often-itinerant entertainers. The composition, rendered in the characteristic bold lines and shallow space favored by the artist, maximizes the psychological tension of the scene, implying a moment of judgment or public inquiry rather than a traditional performance.

This piece exemplifies the vitality of French print culture at the end of the 19th century. Toulouse-Lautrec's focus on intimate human dramas, even in public or semi-public settings, secured his legacy as a leading Post-Impressionist chronicler of his era. The work is classified as a print and is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it contributes to the museum’s extensive holdings of 19th-century graphic arts. High-resolution images of influential prints like this one are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the widespread accessibility of the artist’s oeuvre.