The Simpson Chain

"The Simpson Chain" is a significant color brush and spatter lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1896. Classified as a print, this impressive work was designed as a poster and executed on tan wove paper. Notably, the final lettering was added by another hand, illustrating the specialized, often collaborative, production processes characteristic of Parisian commercial art at the turn of the century.

Lautrec’s technical mastery is evident in the dynamic application of color achieved through the specialized lithographic process, employing both brushwork and deliberate spatter effects. This technique allowed the artist to quickly capture the immediate, vibrant energy of fin-de-siècle urban life. The poster format was critical to the distribution of these works, reflecting the visual demands of commercial advertising and popular entertainment in France during this prolific period.

As one of the preeminent chroniclers of modern life, Toulouse-Lautrec successfully elevated the art of the print medium, transforming ephemeral advertising materials into high art. The work is a powerful example of the sophisticated graphic arts produced in France just before 1900. While original works like The Simpson Chain reside in permanent collections, its status as a historical document means that high-quality prints and derivatives are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad access to the artistic legacy of Lautrec. This important 1896 print is held in the renowned collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.