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[Lithographie(s)] Henri de TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Mary Hamilton - Le Café Concert

L'Estampe originale, Paris 1893, 31,5x43cm, en feuilles.

Mary Hamilton - Le Café Concert
An original print by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec from the Le Café-Concert  series, published by Publications de l'Estampe Originale. A very rare and handsome lithograph, one of 500 original proofs printed on vélin paper by Edouard Ancourt printers.
Portrait of Mary Hamilton by Toulouse-Lautrec. This cabaret singer is here presented in full flow, dressed in men's clothes. Lautrec was fond at this time of lithographic ink, drawing simple lines full of movement, reminiscent of Japanese ukiyo-e prints.
A veritable ode to the café-concert, this series by Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri-Gabriel Ibels captures the essence of the Parisian lifestyle and the vitality of its nights. The plates are accompanied by a pamphlet by the writer Georges Montorgueil singing the praises of these establishments so wrongly looked down on, which he calls “a tonic for modern life.” Far removed from the heavy atmosphere of theatres and concert halls, these “carefree”places saw a real boom during the Belle Epoque and launched the careers of some remarkably modern artists.
The two painters here produced portraits of the most famous cabaret stars at the time, caught in the movements of their “epileptic choreographies” or the grace of their poses. The big names in cafés-concerts, including Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert - Toulouse-Lautrec's muse - or Aristide Bruant are shown in direct and confident aspects, inspired by Japanese woodcuts. The influence of Impressionism is also discernible in the finer details – the style being in vogue at the fin du siècle. Toulouse-Lautrec had been a regular fixture at the Salon des Indépendants since 1889 and had shown there his view of Parisian high society, traversing society salons and the city's brothels as well, not to mention cabarets like the Moulin Rouge, for which he designed a poster that has remained famous to this day. Another master of posters and draughtsmanship, Ibels would work with the Éditions de l'Estampe Originale several times, including on a series of drawings of the circus. He was also the creator of numerous illustrations for popular newspapers, known for his dynamic and incisive style.
A rare print perfectly preserved, a reminder of the splendors of the " Fin de siècle Paris by night ".
 

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