Bartet and Mounet-Sully, in Antigone
Original title: Bartet and Mounet-Sully, in Antigone
kurzbeschreibung
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this lithograph in 1893, capturing Julia Bartet and Jean Mounet-Sully in a scene from Sophocles' Antigone. Printed in two colors, the sheet is the second state of two.
Description
A woman stands on the left, her right hand raised, her face betraying grief or deep thought; her simple garment leaves her shoulders and arms bare. Beside her, a man in cap and robe turns toward her. Dark, almost black strokes behind the figures suggest a curtain or wall. Grays and whites set the tone, while varying line weights give texture and depth. A red seal with letters sits at the lower right.
Context
This print was made in 1893 for the program of the Antigone production at the Théâtre de l'Œuvre in Paris. Toulouse-Lautrec portrayed the two lead actors, among the most famous of the French stage. The lithograph belongs to a period when the artist was becoming known for posters and prints that captured Parisian nightlife and the theater.
Impact
The restrained color and expressive lines give the scene a dramatic, almost monumental mood. The figures feel intimate yet remote, heightening the tragedy of the play.
Technique
Crayon and brush were used on the stone; printing was in two colors on wove paper trimmed to the plate edge. The present work is the second state of an edition of two—evidence of the printing technique and the artist's control over the process.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)