Prospectus Programme de l'Oeuvre

The prospectus serves as a promotional booklet, likely announcing an artistic or theatrical event, as suggested by the title *L’Œuvre* and the inclusion of a Paris address. The front cover’s lithograph, rendered in Toulouse‑Lautrec’s characteristic line work, evokes the nightlife and cabaret atmosphere that defined his oeuvre, while the interior images range from figurative to abstract motifs, reflecting a collective visual identity.

The publication showcases a variety of printmaking processes: a lithographic cover by Toulouse‑Lautrec, woodcuts or wood engravings by Doudelet, Denis, and Vallotton, and additional lithographs by Vuillard and de la Gandara. The prints are executed in black and white, with bold, sketch‑like lines and stark contrasts, exemplifying the late‑nineteenth‑century interest in raw, expressive graphic gestures.

Issued in 1895, the prospectus was assembled as part of a collaborative project among several contemporary French artists. Its original distribution likely targeted patrons and participants of Parisian cultural circles. The folded sheet has survived in museum collections, where it is catalogued as a printed ephemera reflecting the networking practices of the period’s avant‑garde.

The late 1800s saw a surge in interdisciplinary collaborations among painters, printmakers, and designers, especially in Paris. Artists such as Toulouse‑Lautrec, Vuillard, and Vallotton were active in the burgeoning print market, using affordable media to reach wider audiences. This prospectus embodies that spirit, uniting diverse graphic techniques within a single, portable format that could circulate among the city’s artistic community.