Yvette Guilbert (from Le Café Concert)
Original title: Yvette Guilbert (from Le Café Concert)
kurzbeschreibung
Yvette Guilbert, the celebrated Parisian cabaret singer, appears in profile in this 1893 lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The print belongs to the series 'Le Café Concert' and was made as a brush and crayon lithograph in brownish-black ink on laid japan paper.
Description
A woman in profile with short hair and a dark scarf around her neck. A faint, relaxed smile crosses her face. The drawing stays minimal: sharp contours, a narrow range of greys and blacks. Light falls evenly, without strong shadows or highlights. A small monogram sits at the lower right.
Context
Created in 1893 as part of a series on Parisian nightlife, published by 'L'Estampe Originale'. Guilbert was a well-known cabaret singer, famous for her long black gloves and provocative stage presence. Lautrec admired her expressiveness and portrayed her several times, emphasizing her distinctive features.
Impact
The restriction to a few lines and tones gives the portrait an immediate, almost sketch-like presence. Her relaxed posture and slight smile feel intimate and approachable, without the distance of a stage performance. The simplicity of the depiction directs attention to the sitter's personality.
Technique
Executed as a brush and crayon lithograph, printed in brownish-black ink on japan paper. Only one state of the print is known. Lithography allowed Lautrec flowing lines and subtle tonal values, lending the image a spontaneous, drawn quality.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)