← Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Madame Abdala (from Le Café Concert)

Original title: Madame Abdala (from Le Café Concert)

Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Date

1893

Medium

Brush and spatter lithograph with scraper printed in black on laid Japan paper; only state; from deluxe 1893 edition

Dimensions

Image: 10 5/8 × 7 7/8 in. (27 × 20 cm) Sheet: 18 1/4 × 11 7/16 in. (46.3 × 29 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982

kurzbeschreibung

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, chronicler of Parisian nightlife, made this lithograph in 1893 for the series Le Café Concert. It pictures a woman—likely a singer or performer—in a dim room, executed as a black brush-and-spatter lithograph on Japan paper.

Description

The woman occupies the middle of the sheet, her body turned to the left. Long hair falls over her shoulder; she wears a dress with a bare back and a striking bow at her neck. Behind her lies a dark, abstract ground with vertical streaks that suggest curtains. Light entering from the left models her face and garment.

Context

The print dates from 1893, when Toulouse-Lautrec was capturing the nocturnal activity of Paris, above all in cabarets and cafés. The series Le Café Concert was devoted to the performers there. Madame Abdala was probably a singer or dancer, though biographical details are hardly certain. The lithograph was published in a deluxe edition of 1893.

Impact

The dark, high-contrast layout gives the figure something enigmatic and at the same time immediately present. Expressive lines and scraper marks feel dynamic and sketch-like; the image thus catches the energy of nightlife.

Technique

A lithograph in black on Japan paper, using brush, spatter technique, and a scraper. Only this single state of the print exists. Spatters and scraper create fine textures and contrasts in the shadows.

AI-generated description text

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