Une Faillite; Le Poète et le financier

Une Faillite; Le Poète et le financier, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1893, is a significant example of the artist’s mastery of graphic arts during the late nineteenth century. This piece is a 3-color lithograph executed on wove paper, showcasing the technical innovations Toulouse-Lautrec brought to color printmaking. During the period of 1876 to 1900, lithography became a favored medium among French artists for its ability to achieve broad areas of color, nuanced texture, and bold contours suitable for expressive representation.

Toulouse-Lautrec, a foundational figure in French Post-Impressionism, often turned his attention to the social dynamics and character types of contemporary Parisian life. The title of this print translates to "The Bankruptcy; The Poet and the Financier," suggesting a deliberate thematic juxtaposition between idealism or artistic poverty (the Poet) and material wealth, often depicted as fleeting or corrupt (the Financier). This focus on contrasting personalities and the rapid changes in urban society was central to the artist's output, particularly his work created for journals and albums published in the 1890s.

The technique employed in this work highlights Toulouse-Lautrec's economy of line and his distinctive approach to color, utilizing the three color stones to define form rather than merely fill space. The finished print resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, serving as a critical document for understanding the history of European prints and the artistic climate of fin-de-siècle France. As a historical work from this highly influential period, images of this lithograph are often available through public domain resources, allowing scholars and art enthusiasts wide access to the graphic achievements of Toulouse-Lautrec.