The Motorist (L'automobiliste)

The image portrays a man in a hat and spectacles, poised on a bench beside a road, observing the bustle of late‑19th‑century Paris. The inclusion of a horse‑drawn carriage and a stray dog situates the figure within the ordinary flow of the city, reflecting Toulouse‑Lautrec’s interest in the ordinary moments of modern urban existence.

Created through lithography, the print relies on the artist’s direct drawing on a prepared stone surface, allowing for bold, fluid lines. The black‑only palette emphasizes contrast and movement, while the loose, gestural strokes give the scene a sense of speed and spontaneity characteristic of Toulouse‑Lautrec’s printmaking approach.

Toulouse‑Lautrec, born into French aristocracy in 1864, turned to the Parisian nightlife and theatrical world after a childhood injury limited his physical growth. By the mid‑1890s he was actively producing prints that documented contemporary subjects, and *The Motorist* emerged as part of this period of prolific lithographic output.

The lithograph belongs to a broader trend in the 1890s of artists documenting the rapid changes of modern life, especially the rise of new transportation modes and the bustling street scene of Paris. Toulouse‑Lautrec’s focus on ordinary, often overlooked moments aligns with the era’s fascination with realism and the everyday.