The White Review (La Revue blanche)

The White Review (La Revue blanche) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a key example of graphic art produced during the fin-de-siècle period in Paris. Created in 1895, this lithograph demonstrates the technical mastery the artist brought to the medium of commercial and fine art prints. This seminal work is classified as a print, reflecting the artist’s commitment to utilizing reproducible media to capture and disseminate images of contemporary French culture.

The print captures the specific atmosphere of artistic and intellectual life in Paris at the close of the 19th century. The artwork is closely tied to the Parisian literary scene, representing the journal La Revue blanche, an influential publication that championed contemporary writers and Post-Impressionist artists. Toulouse-Lautrec often used the bold, graphic style inherent to lithography to achieve dynamic, immediate compositions. Although the identity of the specific figure depicted in this piece is debated, the composition exemplifies Toulouse-Lautrec's characteristic attention to line economy and expressive portraiture. His prolific output elevated the status of the poster and the print, blurring the traditional lines between commercial advertisement and high art.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s sophisticated understanding of color and line allowed him to convey complex subjects with deceptive simplicity, making works like The White Review (La Revue blanche) immediately recognizable. As a lithographic print, this classification allowed for wider distribution of imagery than traditional painting, playing a critical role in the modernization of art consumption throughout Europe during the 1890s.

Today, this important work from 1895 is held in the prestigious collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its enduring importance as both a historical document and a high-water mark for the development of modern graphic arts. Like many celebrated prints of the period, the original work’s enduring influence ensures its visibility across reference sites and institutional archives.