Reine de Joie par Victor Joze
Original title: Reine de Joie par Victor Joze
kurzbeschreibung
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec based this illustration on his poster for Victor Joze's novel 'Reine de Joie'. It features three people in a familiar situation. Neither date, technique, nor dimensions have been recorded. Two women and one man fill the yellow-toned area, with a dog lying in the foreground.
Description
Three figures shape the layout: in the middle, a woman in a red top leans toward a grey-haired man in a black shirt and kisses him on the cheek. A second woman, dressed entirely in black, has her arms crossed. The man sits on a chair with a red pattern. In front on the floor lies a dog with a yellow collar and a cigarette. The background is yellow and patterned; at the bottom edge of the sheet, the lines read 'Reine de Joie par Victor Joze', 'chez tous les libraires', and 'd'après l'affiche de Lautrec'. Red, black, yellow, and grey dominate, with even lighting.
Context
The original poster for Victor Joze's novel 'Reine de Joie' was created in 1892 in Paris by Toulouse-Lautrec. It belongs to a series of designs for literary works that the artist produced in the early 1890s. The present sheet is a reproduction after that poster, as indicated by the inscription 'd'après l'affiche de Lautrec'. The motif reveals the fashionable, often morally ambiguous Parisian nightlife that Lautrec repeatedly depicted.
Impact
The strong contrasts of red, black, and yellow give the image an immediate, provocative tension. Between the intimate gesture of the kiss and the dog's relaxed posture arises a peculiar conflict of sensuality and irony. Even lighting and flat colorfulness lend the scene a poster-like, almost graphic presence.
Technique
Exact details of the process are unknown; however, visual analysis suggests a flat, color-intensive approach typical of Lautrec's poster art. It is presumably a print or lithograph that adopts the characteristic simplification and outlining of his posters. The colors stand clearly side by side, suggesting stencil or printing technique.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)