Artwork

Promenade (Promenoir)

Promenade (Promenoir), by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ink, 1899
Promenade (Promenoir), by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ink, 1899

Promenade (Promenoir) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1899 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Promenade (Promenoir) is a lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1899 on Japan paper, rendered entirely in black. The work captures a fleeting moment of three individuals walking together.

Subject & Meaning

At the center of the composition is a woman, distinguishable by a long coat, hat, and a flower on her chest, flanked by two men in suits and hats. The men's faces are minimally defined, contrasting with the woman's more detailed appearance, potentially highlighting her as the subject of interest or focus within the social dynamic.

Technique & Style

The lithograph exhibits loose, quick lines, evoking a sense of rapid capture, akin to a spontaneous snapshot. This stylistic choice may reflect Toulouse-Lautrec's ability to convey the immediacy of a moment through his printmaking technique.

History & Provenance

Created in 1899, Promenade (Promenoir) is characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's late 19th-century Parisian nightlife themes, though its specific provenance and exhibition history are not detailed here.

Context

The attire and setting place the work firmly in late 19th-century Paris, a period and place Toulouse-Lautrec was known to document through his art, often exploring the social and cultural nuances of the time.

Legacy

As part of Toulouse-Lautrec's oeuvre, Promenade (Promenoir) contributes to the broader legacy of capturing Parisian life in the late 1800s through lithography, a medium he helped popularize for artistic expression beyond commercial use.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.