The Milliner, Renée Vert

The Milliner, Renée Vert, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1893, is a remarkable example of Post-Impressionist graphic work, capturing a precise snapshot of Parisian commerce and culture. This piece is classified as a print, specifically executed as a color lithograph on ivory wove paper. Lautrec mastered this demanding technique, leveraging the lithographic process for its ability to produce vibrant, nuanced colors and bold graphic forms that defined modern commercial art in France during the fin-de-siècle.

The subject, Renée Vert, was a milliner, a profession intrinsically tied to the burgeoning fashion and social life of the era. Toulouse-Lautrec, a keen observer of contemporary urban subjects, frequently captured intimate, often unposed moments of service workers and citizens who populated the cafés and commercial establishments of Paris. Unlike many contemporaries who idealized bourgeois life, the artist offered a direct, unsentimental perspective on the individuals who constituted the urban working environment. His distinct visual style, utilizing strong contour lines and simplified planes of color often influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints, positioned this specific work at the intersection of fine art and popular culture.

This impression highlights the technical virtuosity of 1864-1901, showcasing the subtle tonal shifts possible through multiple colored stones in lithography. As one of the most significant French prints of the 1890s, the work encapsulates the psychological depth and visual economy for which Toulouse-Lautrec is renowned. The enduring artistic importance of The Milliner, Renée Vert ensures its significance for scholars studying the history of prints. This piece is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.