The Motograph Moving Picture Book

The Motograph Moving Picture Book by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, published in 1898, is a significant and experimental example of fin-de-siècle illustrated media. Classified as a book, this unique publication employs a complex layering of illustrations created through both wood engravings and color lithographs, showcasing the artist’s continued innovation in graphic arts late in his career. The book capitalizes on the burgeoning interest in visual kinetics and early cinematic technology, presenting sequential imagery designed to simulate movement.

Toulouse-Lautrec, known for his incisive observational style, applied his graphic talents to the book format, capturing the atmosphere of Belle Époque society. The illustrations feature candid, sometimes humorous, scenes involving figures such as men and women engaged in leisure or everyday urban activities. Among the lively depictions are sketches incorporating common subjects like various birds and domestic dogs. The fidelity of the original prints demonstrates Lautrec's technical mastery of the lithographic process, particularly in managing delicate color registration necessary for the complex kinetic effect.

The Motograph Moving Picture Book holds historical value beyond its artistic merit as a precursor to modern animated media. This rare piece is housed in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to its age and cultural importance, high-resolution scans and prints of the illustrations from this 1898 book are frequently made available through public domain archives, ensuring wide scholarly and public access to Toulouse-Lautrec’s late graphic output.