VI. Soularde

VI. Soularde is a compelling lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1898. This late work showcases the artist's dedication to capturing the raw, often unglamorous, aspects of fin-de-siècle Parisian life. The print was executed using a specialized technique: a lithograph printed with a beige tint stone on laid paper, a combination that imparts a subtle warmth and distinct texture to the composition. Toulouse-Lautrec was an undeniable master of graphic arts, utilizing the directness of the lithographic process to distribute his vivid and often unflinching observations widely.

As suggested by the title, which translates roughly to "drunken woman" or "boozer," the subject focuses intensely on a weary figure, typical of the character studies favored by Toulouse-Lautrec. The artist was renowned for his ability to distill the essence of individuals encountered in the late-night world of cabarets, bars, and brothels. The intense focus on the subject’s face emphasizes fatigue and isolation, characteristic themes in the work of those artists who documented modern urban existence. Toulouse-Lautrec’s masterful handling of line and shadow brings profound psychological depth to the anonymous faces that populate his oeuvre, treating them not merely as genre subjects but as individual human studies.

This particular piece, one of the later graphic works produced just a few years before the artist's premature death, stands as a strong example of his sustained output of high-quality prints. The original impression of VI. Soularde is housed within the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a crucial document of turn-of-the-century printmaking innovation. Because of its age and cultural significance, this image is widely reproduced, and high-resolution images of the work are often available in the public domain for scholarly study and art appreciation globally.