Alors vous êtes sages
Original title: Alors vous êtes sages
kurzbeschreibung
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created the lithograph 'Alors vous êtes sages' in 1897. It shows two figures in a room, positioned near a window. The print belongs to a period when the artist devoted himself increasingly to printmaking, and it is executed as a color lithograph on paper.
Description
Two figures occupy the scene: on the left, someone in a cap and jacket, turned away from the viewer and leaning slightly to the left; on the right, a figure in a blouse and skirt, looking left. A window behind them lets in a beam of light, while indistinct colored shapes fill the background. Blues and oranges dominate the pastel palette, with the light from the left accentuating the contours. Clear, simple lines define the drawing, which appears flat and almost monochromatic.
Context
The lithograph was made in 1897, when Toulouse-Lautrec was deeply engaged with printmaking and well known for his posters and illustrations. The subject likely comes from his surroundings in Montmartre, where he captured the activity of cabarets and brothels. Nothing is recorded about the exact circumstances of its creation; the sheet nonetheless fits into his series of scenes of Parisian nightlife.
Impact
A calm, familiar mood emanates from the arrangement, carried by the incoming light and pastel colors. Simple lines and muted tones give the sheet a restrained elegance characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's late graphic work.
Technique
Executed as a color lithograph, in which a drawing is transferred with greasy chalk to the stone and then printed on paper. For the different colors, Toulouse-Lautrec used several stones, producing the pastel tones. The print measures 26 × 22 cm (image) on a sheet of 42 × 32 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)