The portfolio Yvette Guilbert was published in 1894, a collaborative effort involving Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Gustave Geffroy, Edouard Ancourt, and the publishing house L'Estampe Originale. This significant example of French graphic arts during the period 1876 to 1900 consists of an album containing sixteen distinct lithographs, executed predominantly in olive green ink, accompanied by a lithographic cover rendered in black. The medium, highly popular during the fin-de-siècle, allowed for the rapid reproduction and distribution of images related to modern life. The specific album housed at the National Gallery of Art includes a personalized authentication, signed by the subject, Yvette Guilbert, in green crayon.
The subject of the portfolio, Yvette Guilbert (1865-1944), was one of the most celebrated and distinctive cabaret singers of late 19th-century Paris, known for her satirical songs and dramatic stage presence. Toulouse-Lautrec, renowned for his penetrating observations of Montmartre nightlife, captured Guilbert in various expressive poses, emphasizing her characteristic long black gloves and sharp, elongated figure. The decision to produce this work as a portfolio of prints reflects the growing democratization of art during this era, enabling images of popular cultural figures to circulate widely beyond the elite gallery walls.
The creation of such limited-edition prints was frequently spearheaded by enterprises like L'Estampe Originale, which actively promoted modern graphic art to collectors. The extensive portfolio serves as a definitive record of Guilbert's stage persona, showcasing the efficacy of lithography to achieve both immediacy and technical detail. Representing the vibrant French culture of the 1890s, this set of prints is now preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it remains a crucial example of the collaboration between major artists, writers (Geffroy), and commercial printers (Ancourt) working within the influential period of 1876 to 1900.
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