Wounded Eros (Eros vanné)

Wounded Eros (Eros vanné) is a masterful lithograph executed by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This highly suggestive work, rendered in black ink on delicate Japan paper, showcases the artist’s acute sensitivity to line and shadow, characteristic of his mature graphic output during the French fin de siècle. As a crucial figure in Post-Impressionism, Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in capturing the inner lives of his subjects, particularly those within the nightlife and theatrical worlds of Montmartre.

The print presents a strikingly intimate and ambiguous scene, focusing on the mythological figure of Eros, often depicted as the embodiment of desire and love. Here, however, Eros is rendered in a state of exhaustion or injury, stripped of his typical vitality. The title, Eros vanné (Exhausted/Vanné Eros), emphasizes this draining of power, suggesting perhaps a commentary on the fleeting, often painful nature of love and passion in the rapidly changing society of 1876 to 1900.

Toulouse-Lautrec employed the nuanced potential of lithography to create deep, velvety blacks and subtle tonal variations, emphasizing the melancholy mood of the subject. Unlike the vibrant posters he created for public consumption, this work, intended for a smaller, more discerning audience, uses spare composition and powerful contour lines to convey psychological depth. This exceptional example of French prints from the late nineteenth century is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, providing critical insight into Toulouse-Lautrec’s influential graphic techniques. The enduring quality of works like Wounded Eros ensures their continued study and accessibility, even as high-resolution images of these pieces become available for the public domain.