Carnot Is Sick! (from Les Vieilles Histoires)
Original title: Carnot Is Sick! (from Les Vieilles Histoires)
kurzbeschreibung
A sick person lies bedridden while another stands upright beside them, both in a gloomy room. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this 1893 lithograph as part of his series Les Vieilles Histoires. It was printed in black on imitation japan paper.
Description
A half-undressed figure rests on a bed; next to it stands someone in shirt and trousers. A curtain partly covers a window at the back. A table beside the reclining person holds a bowl with an apple-like object. The print thrives on strong light-dark contrasts, with greys predominating. Expressive linework and the spatter and brush application give the scene something immediate and raw.
Context
The sheet dates from 1893, when Toulouse-Lautrec was working in Paris and becoming known for his portrayals of nightlife. Les Vieilles Histoires gathers scenes from everyday life, often with a melancholy undertone. Illness and care as a subject may touch on social questions frequently addressed in 1890s art. The work survives in a single state; the printing on imitation japan paper suggests a limited edition.
Impact
Dark areas and sparing light create an intimate, almost oppressive mood. The coarse spatter and brush technique heightens the expressive impact and directs attention to the relationship between the two figures.
Technique
Executed as a brush and spatter lithograph, printed in black on imitation japan paper. This method allows free, painterly linework and soft tonal gradations. Only one state of the print exists, pointing to an immediate, uncorrected realization of the image idea.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)