Les vieux papillons
Medium
lithograph in black on velin paper
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1952.8.400
Art Historical Context
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec *Les vieux papillons (1895) is striking lithograph in black on velin paper exemplifying the artist's mastery of printmaking during Paris's vibrant Belle Époque. Created at the height of Toulouse-Lautrec's career, this work captures the essence of Montmartre's bohem nightlife, a world he chronicled with unflinching honesty. As a Post-Impressionist, he transformed the humble lithographic poster from commercial advertising into high art, blending bold lines and subtle tones to evoke the energy of cabarets and theaters. Lithography allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to achieve ric...
About the Artist
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 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...