Yvette Guilbert

Yvette Guilbert is an exceptional album created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894, capturing one of the most iconic performers of the Parisian fin-de-siècle. This definitive print album comprises a lithographed cover printed on fine Japan paper and sixteen individual crayon lithographs. Printed in a striking olive green ink on laid paper, the technique captures the raw energy and expressive line work characteristic of the artist's style. As an important example of 19th-century French prints, this album focuses exclusively on the highly individualistic chanson singer, Yvette Guilbert, whom Toulouse-Lautrec considered one of his favorite subjects.

The artist, known as the master chronicler of Montmartre nightlife, utilized the print medium to quickly disseminate images of contemporary celebrities. These lithographs are less concerned with flattering portraits than with conveying the essence of the singer's performance, particularly her lean physical presence and trademark accessories, such as her severe bun and famously long black gloves.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s economical and graphic technique ensures that each scene in the album maintains the immediacy of a live sketch. The artist’s keen ability to distill motion and personality made his lithographs invaluable records of the era’s entertainment culture. This specific album, produced in a limited edition and representing the only state of the prints, is held in the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Examples of his artwork from this period are often considered key reference materials for scholars studying early modern graphic arts and are frequently digitized for the public domain by major institutions.