Yvette Guilbert—A Menilmontant de Bruant, from Yvette Guilbert
Medium
Lithograph with beige tint stone, on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 32.4 × 26.5 cm (12 13/16 × 10 7/16 in.); Sheet: 50.1 × 37.8 cm (19 3/4 × 14 15/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
4579
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec a master of Post-Impressionist printmaking, immortalized the flamboyant world of Parisian cabaret in this 1898 lithograph, *Yvette Guilbert Menilmontant deuant*, from his series *Yvette Guil*. The image captures the iconic chanteuse Yvette Guilbert known for her sharp wit and risqué performances in Montmartre venues. Here, she embodies the gritty charm of Aristide Bruant popular song "À Menilmant," evoking the working-class neighborhoods of Paris during the Belle Époque. Toulouse-Lautrec's genius shines in his innovative use of lithography with a beige tint stone on ivory laid paper, creating subtle tonal depth and vivid expressiveness. Measuring 32.4 × 26.5 cm, this print exemplifies his poster style—bold lines, flattened forms, and psychological insight—that bridged fine art and commercial design, making high culture accessible to the masses. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this work highlights the cultural vibrancy of fin-de-siècle Paris, where artists like Lautrec chronicled the demimonde of performers and bohemians, influencing modern graphic arts forever. A snapshot of an era's electric nightlife!
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...