The Second Volume by Bruant

The Second Volume by Bruant is a pivotal color lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 in 1893. This significant print exemplifies the artist's masterful use of the lithographic process, rendered upon tan wove paper, showcasing the technical freedom and commercial potential of the medium in late 19th-century France.

Active within the vibrant cultural scene of fin-de-siècle Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec was instrumental in elevating poster and graphic design to the status of fine art. The subject matter relates directly to the Montmartre environment; the "Bruant" referenced in the title is Aristide Bruant, the celebrated chansonnier known for his distinctive black cloak and red scarf, whom the artist frequently documented. This piece likely served as an illustration or cover for a compilation of Bruant’s observational songs, demonstrating the close collaboration between the artist and the world of cabaret performance and artistic publication.

Toulouse-Lautrec employed the technique of color lithography to achieve his signature style of bold, simplified forms, flat areas of color, and expressive contour lines, drawing heavy influence from Japanese ukiyo-e prints. His characteristic cropped compositions and decisive draughtsmanship capture the raw, often unvarnished, energy of Parisian nightlife. As a key example of modern French printmaking, the work illustrates how the artist harnessed mass-reproducible media, increasing the accessibility of art to the public, a concept widely studied today in prints available for scholarship. This important historical artifact, The Second Volume by Bruant, resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.