← Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

For You! (from Les Vieilles Histoires)

Original title: For You! (from Les Vieilles Histoires)

Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Date

1893

Medium

Lithograph on imitation japan paper; only state

Dimensions

Sheet: 14 3/16 × 10 5/8 in. (36 × 27 cm) Image: 10 13/16 × 7 3/4 in. (27.5 × 19.7 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982

kurzbeschreibung

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made the lithograph 'Für dich!' in 1893 as part of his series 'Les Vieilles Histoires'. It features a smiling man with a pipe, while a figure that is hard to interpret appears in the background. The print was pulled on imitation japan paper.

Description

On the left, a smiling gentleman in a dark suit dominates the image, holding a pipe, shown in half profile. To the right and further back, a figure with striking hair and a peculiar expression leans over some object or apparatus. The layout feels asymmetrical: the main weight sits on the left, the puzzling element on the right. Grey governs the palette, relieved only by a beige shimmer in the background. Crisp outlines and graduated shading define the lithographic touch.

Context

This lithograph dates from 1893 and belongs to 'Les Vieilles Histoires', a suite based on poems by Jean Goudezki. In the 1890s Toulouse-Lautrec was known above all for his posters and prints that captured Parisian nightlife. At the time, lithography was enjoying a fresh flowering as an artistic medium. The print survives in only one state on imitation japan paper, in keeping with the practice of the day.

Impact

The restrained colour and the odd arrangement of figures give the sheet a blend of intimacy and enigma. The encounter between the smiling man and the strange figure in the background produces a faint sting of unease that holds the eye. Delicate shadows and sharp contours lend the print an elegant, draughtsmanlike presence.

Technique

The work was executed as a lithograph on imitation japan paper, in a single state. The process relies on the repulsion of grease and water on a stone or metal plate; Toulouse-Lautrec used precise contours and nuanced grey values. The imitation japan paper gives the print a smooth, slightly glossy surface that brings out the fine lines.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)