Artwork
Alfred la Guigne
Alfred la Guigne is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Alfred la Guigne is an oil painting executed on cardboard by Henri de Toulouse‑Lautrec in 1894. The work measures a modest size typical of the artist’s café commissions and captures a brief moment within a Parisian café interior. It presents a solitary man accompanied by two women, each dressed in contemporary attire, set against a backdrop of lively interior décor.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a man in a tan coat and black hat, stands beside two fashionable women, one in a vivid red dress and large hat, the other in a more subdued outfit. The composition suggests a casual social encounter, reflecting Toulouse‑Lautrec’s interest in everyday urban life and the fleeting interactions that defined the nightlife of late‑19th‑century Paris.
Technique & Style
Contrasting colors—particularly the striking red dress—draw the eye, while the simplified forms emphasize the scene’s dynamism over detailed realism.
Rendered with bold, fluid lines and a palette of saturated hues, the painting exemplifies Toulouse‑Lautrec’s post‑Impressionist approach. The artist’s brushwork is expressive yet economical, allowing the cardboard support to convey texture and immediacy. Contrasting colors—particularly the striking red dress—draw the eye, while the simplified forms emphasize the scene’s dynamism over detailed realism.
History & Provenance
Created during a prolific period when Toulouse‑Lautrec was documenting the city’s cafés and cabarets, Alfred la Guigne remained in private hands for much of the twentieth century. Documentation indicates it entered a European collection in the 1920s before being acquired by a museum in the early 2000s, where it now serves as an example of the artist’s café portraiture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (French: ), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator.
