Yvette Guilbert?

Yvette Guilbert? is a powerful lithograph in black on paper created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This print exemplifies the artist's dedication to capturing the vibrant and often harsh realities of Parisian nightlife during the critical historical period spanning 1876 to 1900. Toulouse-Lautrec was a master of the graphic arts, utilizing the technical versatility of lithography to achieve sharp contrasts, immediate lines, and powerful psychological portraits. The classification of this work as a print highlights his innovative approach to mass media and poster art, which revolutionized visual culture in fin-de-siècle France.

The subject, likely the renowned chanteuse Yvette Guilbert, was one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s most frequent and fascinating models. Known for her expressive, sometimes macabre performances and distinctive elbow-length black gloves, Guilbert represented the glamorous yet cynical spirit of Montmartre. Toulouse-Lautrec often depicted performers in motion or immediately backstage, capturing moments of fleeting intensity rather than static poses. Although simplified in form, the expressive rendering emphasizes the character’s presence and energy, typical of the artist's signature style. The French cultural context heavily influenced this approach, as the burgeoning celebrity culture demanded reproducible images like these sophisticated prints.

This piece belongs to the genre of documentary observation for which Toulouse-Lautrec is celebrated. As one of his most recognized subjects, portraits of Guilbert are central to understanding his graphic output from the late 19th century. Although created toward the end of the defined period of 1876 to 1900, the work still maintains the raw, immediate sensibility of his earlier posters. This important example of his prints resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars and the public an accessible view of Parisian art history. As the copyright on many such important graphic works has expired, high-quality images of this piece are often available for study through the public domain.