Yvette Guilbert—Pessima, from Yvette Guilbert

The print Yvette Guilbert—Pessima, from Yvette Guilbert was created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901 in 1898. This sophisticated work is a lithograph, meticulously executed with a beige tint stone on ivory laid paper. This technical choice enabled Toulouse-Lautrec to render the rapid movement and dramatic lighting characteristic of Parisian cabaret stages, utilizing the subtle tone of the beige stone to provide an atmospheric depth that was unusual for the commercial print medium at the time.

The subject is the celebrated performer Yvette Guilbert, whom Toulouse-Lautrec depicted repeatedly across his prolific, decade-long engagement with the entertainment world of France. This particular rendering, captured late in the 1890s, emphasizes the performer’s powerful, often exaggerated stage presence and her distinctive long black gloves, a signature element of her iconic persona. As a central figure in the fin-de-siècle artistic milieu, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the burgeoning commercial appeal of lithography to circulate his interpretations of contemporary French nightlife.

Toulouse-Lautrec produced this image as part of a dedicated portfolio centered on Guilbert. The nuanced tonal shifts achieved by the use of the tint stone elevate this piece beyond simple illustration, positioning it as a key example of late 19th-century graphic arts. This important work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the original is preserved in the museum, quality prints and high-resolution images of this pivotal work are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad access to this defining era of French printmaking.