The Jockey

The Jockey is a significant lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1899. This print exemplifies the artist’s commitment to capturing modern life in France, focusing specifically on the high-speed drama of the racetrack. As a key figure in Post-Impressionism and the premier chronicler of fin de siècle Parisian entertainment, Toulouse-Lautrec frequently utilized the medium of lithography, elevating it from a commercial poster technique to a respected fine art form.

The choice of lithography for this piece allowed the artist to utilize broad strokes and expressive line work, giving the composition a sense of immediacy and dynamism. The work captures the intense concentration of the rider, perhaps just before or after the race begins, a subject that reflects the cultural obsession with leisure and sporting events in late nineteenth-century Europe. Unlike earlier academic paintings of equine subjects, Toulouse-Lautrec prioritizes the atmosphere and movement of the scene over precise anatomical detail.

The composition typically features simplified forms and strong, directional lines that lead the viewer's eye across the print. This work fits within a series of notable prints and drawings dedicated to equestrian themes, demonstrating Toulouse-Lautrec’s versatility beyond the cabarets and theaters for which he is most widely known. Produced just a year before the artist's premature death, The Jockey showcases his mature command of graphic arts and color application. This important example of French graphic art resides in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, preserved as part of its holdings of late nineteenth-century prints.