Why Not?... Once Does Not Count

The print Why Not?... Once Does Not Count by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) was executed in 1893. This classification of the work as a lithograph on cream wove paper highlights Lautrec’s profound commitment to printmaking during the fin-de-siècle period in France. Lautrec often utilized the graphic immediacy of the lithographic process to capture the rapidly changing social dynamics and intimate moments of modern Parisian life, effectively elevating the status of the commercial print to fine art. The ability to produce and distribute images quickly enabled the artist to become the foremost visual chronicler of the era.

Created at the height of his career, this particular print exemplifies Lautrec’s observational genius and his fascination with the complex social strata of Montmartre. Unlike his Impressionist contemporaries, Lautrec focused his eye on the fleeting, often raw scenes found in theaters, cafes, and brothels, rendering figures with sharp psychological insight and often utilizing Japanese-inspired compositional cropping. The suggestive title implies a transient, possibly morally ambiguous interaction characteristic of the era's evolving social attitudes toward pleasure and identity.

Lautrec’s masterful handling of the lithographic stone captures texture and mood solely through line, contrast, and tone, demonstrating why he remains a paramount figure in 19th-century French graphic arts. This significant example of the artist's pioneering work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving as a critical document of both Post-Impressionism and early modern design.