Yvette Guilbert-French Series: No. 15

Yvette Guilbert-French Series: No. 15 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a masterful lithograph created in 1894. This expressive portrait captures the essence of Yvette Guilbert, the celebrated cabaret star known throughout Europe for her powerful stage presence and signature long black gloves. The work is classified as a Book, indicating its inclusion in a published portfolio dedicated to the eccentric performer. The artist's distinctive style, characterized by rapid, evocative lines and flattened perspective, perfectly conveyed the fleeting drama of the stage. Toulouse-Lautrec was the principal visual chronicler of fin de siècle Parisian entertainment, immortalizing the personalities and atmosphere of Montmartre in France.

Utilizing the specific techniques afforded by lithography, Toulouse-Lautrec was able to achieve spontaneous, fluid strokes, defining Guilbert’s distinctive silhouette and highlighting her emblematic accessories. The dramatic focus and immediate composition seen in this print demonstrate the influence of Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) on French graphic arts of the period. This significant work, which belongs to a crucial series documenting the visual culture of 1890s Paris, is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This lithograph, like other influential Yvette Guilbert-French Series prints, is integral to the study of modern graphic design and theatrical portraiture. Although the original resides securely within the museum’s collection, versions of the work or related studies belonging to the artist’s legacy may be widely available through public domain resources.