Artwork
Yvette Guilbert?
Yvette Guilbert? is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1896 lithograph captures the celebrated French chanteuse Yvette Guilbert in a stark black-on-paper composition.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1896 lithograph captures the celebrated French chanteuse Yvette Guilbert in a stark black-on-paper composition. Executed as a print, the image presents the singer in profile, her hair drawn back and a wide-brimmed hat shading her face, while a hand rests contemplatively on her chin. The background consists of loose, sketch‑like lines that suggest an urban or arboreal setting receding into distance.
Subject & Meaning
Yvette Guilbert, a prominent figure of Parisian cabaret, is rendered here with an emphasis on her poised yet introspective demeanor. The profile pose and the subtle gesture of hand to chin convey a moment of quiet self‑reflection amid the bustling nightlife she inhabited, aligning with Lautrec’s interest in the personal dimensions of public performers.
Technique & Style
The work employs the lithographic process, in which the artist draws directly onto a stone or metal plate with greasy ink, then transfers the image onto paper through pressure. Lautrec’s characteristic rapid, gestural strokes are evident in the fluid outlines of the hat, hair, and background, creating a sense of immediacy and movement while maintaining a stark monochrome palette.
History & Provenance
Created during the height of Lautrec’s engagement with Montmartre’s entertainment venues, the lithograph was likely produced for limited distribution among collectors of contemporary Parisian art. Its survival on a worn sheet of paper suggests it may have been a working proof or a quickly produced edition, typical of the artist’s practice in the 1890s.
Context
The image reflects the broader cultural fascination with nightlife and the marginalized figures of late‑19th‑century Paris. Lautrec’s focus on performers like Guilbert parallels his broader oeuvre, which documented the cafés, cabarets, and music halls that defined the city’s modern social landscape.
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.
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