For You! (from Les Vieilles Histoires)

Art Historical Context

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec a master of capturing the vibrant underbelly of fin-de-siècle Paris, created *For You!*, part of his 1893 series *Lesilles Histoires* (Old Stories). Collaborating with printers Jean Goudezki and Édouard Kleinmann, thisograph reflects Lautrec's fascination with Montmartre's bohemian life, often infused with wit, sensuality, and social observation. Printed in a single state on imitation Japan paper—a textured, affordable alternative to luxury Japanese imports—it measures a intimate 14 3/16 × 10 5/8 inches, perfect for collectors of the era. Lautrec revolutionized printmaking with his bold color lithography, bridging fine art and mass media through posters and albums like this one. *Les Vieilles Histoires* comprises nine vignettes blending humor and eroticism, with *For You!* likely featuring male figures (as tagged), evoking the playful, risqué narratives of cabaret culture. This "only state" impression underscores its rarity, highlighting Lautrec's precise technique in layering colors directly on stone for vivid, spontaneous effects. Bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982 by Scofield Thayer, this work exemplifies how Lautrec elevated lithography into high art, influencing modern graphic design and immortalizing Paris's nightlife for generations of visitors.

About the Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec|Jean Goudezki|Edouard Kleinmann · 1864–1901

Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (1864-1901) was a French Post-Impressionist painter, printmaker, and illustrator whose innovative poster designs revolutionized graphic art and advertising in late 19th-century Paris. Born into an aristocratic family at Albi in southern France, Toulouse-Lautrec's privileged lineage traced back to the Counts of Toulouse and extended uninterrupted to th...