Yvette Guilbert—'Linger, Longer, Loo', from Yvette Guilbert

Yvette Guilbert—'Linger, Longer, Loo', from Yvette Guilbert by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) is a significant example of the artist’s deep engagement with the entertainment culture of late nineteenth-century France. Executed in 1898, this work is a lithograph created using a beige tint stone, carefully printed on ivory laid paper, showcasing the technical finesse required for such detailed prints. The piece belongs to a series dedicated to the famous cabaret star Yvette Guilbert, who was instantly recognizable across Paris due to her distinctive slender figure and signature long black gloves.

Toulouse-Lautrec captured Guilbert’s essence not through traditional portraiture, but by focusing on the dynamism and exaggerated expressions she employed during her performances on the stages of Montmartre. This specific image likely captures the humor and theatricality of her routine for 'Linger, Longer, Loo'. Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the medium of lithography to achieve broad areas of color and stark outlines, maximizing the visual impact while conveying a sense of immediacy and movement characteristic of the Belle Époque night life.

The artist was a pioneer in commercial art and printmaking, elevating the status of the print medium during his career. This piece is frequently cited as a definitive representation of the performer and the era. This impression of Yvette Guilbert—'Linger, Longer, Loo' resides in the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a key late 19th-century French print, the work is frequently studied, and high-resolution versions are often made available through public domain collections for educational purposes.