May Belfort, from Treize Lithographies
1898, published before 1906
Medium
Color lithograph on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet: 29.4 × 24 cm (11 5/8 × 9 1/2 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
147129
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec "May Belfort from the series Treizeographies, is a vibrant color lithograph created in1898. As a Post-Impressionist artist, Toulouse-Lautrec excelled at capturing the energy of Parisian nightlife and its performers. This print, on cream wove paper and measuring 29.4 by 24 centimeters, demonstrates his mastery of lithography, a medium he used to blend fine art with the popular culture of the Belle Époque. Lithography enabled Toulouse-Lautrec to achieve bold colors and fluid lines that conveyed movement and personality. Part of a set of thirteen lithographs published before 1906, the work portrays the entertainer May Belfort and reflects his deep interest in the cabaret world. The process allowed for multiple impressions, making such images more widely available and helping elevate commercial printmaking to an artistic form. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection, this lithograph offers a glimpse into late 19th-century Paris, where art and entertainment flourished together. Toulouse-Lautrec's innovative style influenced modern graphic design and continues to draw viewers into the lively spirit of his era.
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...