Yvette Guilbert-French Series: No. 12

Yvette Guilbert-French Series: No. 12 is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This highly distinctive print belongs to a portfolio dedicated entirely to the famous cabaret star, Yvette Guilbert, whom Toulouse-Lautrec viewed as the embodiment of modern Parisian nightlife. Classified officially as a book illustration, this work showcases the artist’s mastery of the lithographic medium, allowing him to capture the subject's personality with stark, immediate lines and economical use of color.

The production of this specialized series situates the work within the flourishing culture of graphic arts in late 19th-century France. Toulouse-Lautrec, known for his incisive portraits of actors, dancers, and the social elite of Montmartre, utilized the accessibility of prints to document the Belle Époque. The expressive technique employed in pieces like this allowed for wide circulation and solidified the artist’s reputation as the primary chronicler of the era's entertainment venues. The lithograph technique was pivotal in allowing Toulouse-Lautrec to translate the energy of performance onto the page, capturing Guilbert's trademark stage presence and the elongated silhouette often defined by her famous black gloves.

As a single sheet from the publication, this impression emphasizes the collaboration between the artist and the publishing industry, illustrating how fine art extended into portfolio editions and illustrated books of the period. This valuable example, Yvette Guilbert-French Series: No. 12, provides significant documentation of both the subject and the graphic arts tradition in France. The work is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, preserving a key example of Toulouse-Lautrec's celebrated printmaking career.