Artwork

The First Vendor of Jourdan and Brown (Le premier vendeur de Jourdan et Brown)

The First Vendor of Jourdan and Brown (Le premier vendeur de Jourdan et Brown) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Henri de Toulouse‑Lautrec’s 1897 lithograph, titled *The First Vendor of Jourdan and Brown*, presents a brief street‑level encounter in the Parisian nightlife. Executed in a single olive‑green tone, the print shows two figures—one turned away, the other facing the viewer—against an unadorned background, capturing a fleeting moment of urban commerce.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on two men associated with the bustling entertainment districts of late‑19th‑century Paris.

The composition focuses on two men associated with the bustling entertainment districts of late‑19th‑century Paris. One figure, cloaked in a long coat and hat, stands with his back to the audience, while the other, dressed in a plaid suit, turns his head slightly, suggesting a casual exchange between a vendor and a passer‑by, a theme recurrent in Toulouse‑Lautrec’s interest in the city’s marginalized social circles.

Technique & Style

Toulouse‑Lautrec employs bold, fluid lines and simplified geometric shapes to convey movement and immediacy. The monochromatic olive palette heightens contrast between the dark silhouettes and the lighter background, while the stark delineation of clothing textures underscores the individuality of each figure within the compact composition.

History & Provenance

The lithograph is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C. Acquired through the museum’s print and drawing department, it exemplifies the artist’s prolific output of commercial prints that documented Parisian leisure and commerce during the 1890s.

Context

Created during a period when Toulouse‑Lautrec was deeply involved with the cabarets, cafés, and brothels of Montmartre, the work reflects the broader cultural fascination with modern urban life. Its focus on a vendor of the popular Jourdan and Brown beverage aligns with the artist’s habit of portraying everyday laborers within the city’s vibrant nocturnal economy.

Artist & collection

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.