The print Yvette Guilbert, created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1894, captures the essence of the celebrated French cabaret performer. This specific work is classified as a lithograph, distinguished by its unique rendering in olive green ink. The choice of the graphic medium was crucial to Toulouse-Lautrec, allowing him to produce high-impact images for the commercial art market during the flourishing period of 1876 to 1900, known broadly as the fin de siècle.
Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in portraying the vibrant, often raw, nightlife of Montmartre. The artist depicted Guilbert, known for her distinctive black gloves and dramatic gestures, numerous times, capturing her signature stage presence and elongated, almost caricature-like, silhouette. While many prints of the era used highly contrasting and vibrant color, the deliberate use of the monochromatic olive green palette in this work emphasizes line and form, reflecting the sophisticated aesthetic preferences of the French avant-garde. As a master printmaker, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the lithographic process to convey movement and personality with rapid, expressive strokes, treating his commercial and performance subjects with the critical focus usually reserved for high art.
This piece belongs to a specific portfolio of prints the artist published, highlighting his pivotal role in elevating graphic art to fine art status within French culture. The portfolio format ensured the wide dissemination of these modern images, making lithographic prints accessible to a broader audience than traditional paintings. The historical significance of this period lies in the radical shift in artistic focus toward modern urban life and celebrity portraiture. This important impression of the lithograph resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., and is frequently studied as a key example of Late 19th Century European graphic arts. Today, high-resolution copies of these influential early modern prints are widely accessible through public domain collections.
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