Yvette Guilbert—Soûlarde, from Yvette Guilbert

Yvette Guilbert—Soûlarde, from Yvette Guilbert by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901), is a defining example of the artist's lithographic work from 1898. This specific print was created using a beige tint stone on ivory laid paper, showcasing Lautrec's sophisticated approach to graphic art. The technique highlights the expressive character of the celebrated stage performer, Yvette Guilbert, who was famous for her stylized presence in the cabarets of late 19th-century France.

Toulouse-Lautrec had a close, often critical, relationship with Guilbert’s carefully crafted public image. This particular composition, known as Soûlarde (a term implying "drunkard" or dissipated woman), captures the singer in a dramatic, character-driven pose. The focus moves beyond simple portraiture to offer the sort of biting social commentary and psychological observation typical of Lautrec's oeuvre. As a prolific chronicler of Parisian nightlife, Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the medium of the lithograph print to disseminate images widely across France, cementing his reputation as a master of fin-de-siècle graphic arts.

Classified simply as a print, this work demonstrates the artist's skill in capturing raw emotion through expert manipulation of line and shadow. The piece is part of the extensive collection of French graphic art held by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a crucial document of both the performing arts and the innovative printing techniques utilized during the final years of the 19th century. Such significant prints occasionally enter the public domain, making them invaluable resources for art historical study worldwide.