Confetti (1894, Met-Objekt 869)
Original title: Confetti
kurzbeschreibung
For 1894, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec designed the lithograph "Konfetti", printed in three colors on vellum. It shows a woman with flowing hair and a billowing dress, surrounded by floating hands that point to the word "Konfetti". The sheet served as advertising for the confetti manufacturer J. & E Bella from London.
Description
A woman standing frontally dominates the layout; her hair and garment are in motion, one hand gathers the fabric. Above her hover several hands that seem to rise from the lower area and aim at the centrally placed word "Confetti". This word appears large and in striking typography. At the bottom edge are two text boxes with manufacturer and printer information. Gray tones determine the color scheme, interspersed with red, blue and green.
Context
The poster was created as advertising for the confetti manufacturer J. & E Bella, whose London address is given below. Toulouse-Lautrec made it in 1894 in Paris, when colored lithographic posters for entertainments and goods were booming. The printer Bella & de Malherbe, with branches in London and Paris, specialized in sophisticated color lithographs.
Impact
The sheet combines a realistic image of a woman with symbolic motifs such as the growing hands, which introduces a surreal note. The sweeping lines and restrained coloring give it an elegant yet dynamic feel.
Technique
The lithograph was printed in three colors on vellum. In stone printing, the drawing is applied greasily to the stone and then rolled up with water and ink. The three colors – red, blue and green – are applied in separate passes one over another to achieve the intended color effect.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)