The Passenger in Cabin 54—The Cruise

The Passenger in Cabin 54—The Cruise by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, is a significant example of fin-de-siècle graphic arts, capturing the transitional and intimate settings favored by the artist. Executed in 1896, this print is rendered using color lithography on ivory wove paper, showcasing the technical innovations that revolutionized printmaking during this period.

Throughout the 1890s, Lautrec embraced the lithographic process, valuing its immediacy and capacity to produce widely accessible images that captured the fleeting moments and unique personalities of modern life in France. Unlike many contemporaries, the artist viewed the production of prints as central to his artistic output, often applying his compositional skills directly onto the lithographic stone. The visual quality of this specific work is marked by characteristic rich, layered colors and sharp definition, hallmarks of his masterful control over the medium.

The subject matter, implied by the title, alludes to the emerging popularity of high-society travel and the private moments witnessed during the Belle Époque. The figure contained within the restrictive frame of a cabin suggests an intimacy, perhaps tinged with the psychological isolation that often features in Lautrec’s observational studies, contrasting sharply with his better-known scenes of bustling Parisian cabarets. Lautrec's focused, empathetic documentation of his subjects cemented his legacy as a leading Post-Impressionist chronicler. This important French print is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.