Artwork
Bust of Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender (Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender, en buste)
Bust of Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender (Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender, en buste) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec produced a color lithograph titled *Bust of Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender* in 1895. Executed on wove paper, the print presents a portrait of a young woman with auburn hair, a green dress, and a tilted red hat, set against a background of swirling yellow and white tones.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Marcelle Lender, was a celebrated performer in Paris’s theatrical world of the late nineteenth century. By depicting her with closed eyes and a poised profile, the image captures a moment of private contemplation amid the public life of the stage, reflecting Toulouse-Lautrec’s interest in the personalities behind the spectacle.
Technique & Style
The work employs the lithographic process, allowing the artist to apply vivid color layers directly onto the paper surface. Toulouse-Lautrec’s handling of line and flat areas of hue aligns with the broader aesthetic of late‑Impressionist printmaking, emphasizing immediacy and decorative pattern over detailed modeling.
History & Provenance
Created during the height of Toulouse-Lautrec’s engagement with Parisian nightlife, the lithograph was likely produced for commercial distribution among admirers of the era’s performers. It has since entered public collections, illustrating the artist’s prolific output of portrait prints that documented the cultural figures of fin‑de‑siècle France.
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.
