Yvette Guilbert is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894. This piece belongs to the productive artistic period of 1876 to 1900, during which Toulouse-Lautrec cemented his reputation as the foremost visual chronicler of Parisian nightlife and Belle Époque culture. The specific technique employed is a lithograph rendered primarily in olive green, distinguishing it from the artist's more vibrant poster works, yet maintaining the characteristic economical line and dramatic composition associated with his printmaking practice. The classification of the work as part of a Portfolio suggests its intended purpose as a collectible fine art print rather than mass market advertising.
The subject, Yvette Guilbert (1865-1944), was one of the most famous and distinctive French cabaret singers of the era, instantly recognizable by her theatrical presence and signature long black gloves. Toulouse-Lautrec developed a particular fascination with Guilbert, capturing her on stage and in intimate moments throughout the 1890s. This work reflects the dynamic cultural shift happening in French society, where popular entertainment figures became subjects worthy of high art representation. Lautrec utilized the democratization afforded by prints, specifically lithography, to disseminate images of contemporary celebrity while retaining artistic integrity.
Though subdued in color, this portrait captures Guilbert’s theatrical persona, emphasizing the angularity and movement that defined her performances at venues like the Moulin Rouge. The artist’s distinctive signature style-rapid, suggestive outlines against negative space-ensured that even a simple olive green lithograph became an immediate and recognizable likeness. As a key example of fin-de-siècle French printmaking, the work is currently held in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its age and prominence within the history of art during the 1876 to 1900 period, high-quality prints and references to this important image are often found in public domain archives, allowing broad scholarly and public access to this pivotal piece of modern art history.
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