Truffier and Moreno, in Les Femmes Savantes
Original title: Truffier and Moreno, in Les Femmes Savantes
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike Toulouse-Lautrec's related theatre lithographs, this 1893 sheet hinges entirely on the contrast between two actors in a scene from Les Femmes Savantes. It was executed as a crayon lithograph with brush and spatter work and a scraper, printed in black on wove paper.
Description
On the left foreground, a seated figure in dark clothing with striking, almost caricatural features takes a sheet of paper in hand. Opposite, on the right, sits a second figure in a light dress, slender and elegant, gazing toward the first. A window with a curtain frames the background, where a third character appears, looking over at the left-hand figure. The layout is uneven: the two main figures dominate the front plane, while the third remains set back. Light falling from the front sharpens contours and shadows.
Context
This lithograph was made in 1893, within the circle of Toulouse-Lautrec's works on the Paris theatre. Molière's Les Femmes Savantes was then on the Paris stage, and the artist captured the performers Truffier and Moreno in their roles. In those years Lautrec was known for his images from cabarets and playhouses.
Impact
The hard black-and-white contrast and the expressive figures convey a direct, lively impression. Finely worked hatching meets spatter, creating a restless surface that takes in the atmosphere of the performance.
Technique
As a lithograph, the sheet was printed in black on wove paper using crayon, brush and spatter techniques, along with a scraper. It exists in only one state, with no further printing variants. This method allows precise reproduction of details and gradations.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)