Baron Moïse, the Box, from Au Pied du Sinaï

Art Historical Context

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the renowned French artist celebrated for his dynamic portrayals of late-19th-century, produced this lithograph in 1897 as an illustration for the publication *Au Pied du Sina*, issued the following year. Known for his incisive draftsmanship and immersion in the city’s social whirl, Lautrec excelled in graphic media, using them to distill character and atmosphere with remarkable economy. This work, titled *Baron Moïse, the Box*, belongs to that series and reflects his gift for capturing fleeting human presence through bold, economical lines. Lithography—drawing directly on stone to create multiple impressions—suited Lautrec’s spontaneous style and allowed his images to reach a broader public than unique paintings. Printed on grayish-ivory wove chine, a fine paper prized for its subtle texture, the modest-scale print (image just under 7 by 6 inches) was typical of book illustrations of the period. It demonstrates how Lautrec adapted his Post-Impressionist sensibility to narrative subjects, blending observation with a distinctive graphic flair that remains instantly recognizable. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, this lithograph invites viewers to appreciate Lautrec’s technical mastery and his role in elevating commercial illustration to fine art. Even without the surrounding text, the work conveys the artist’s characteristic vitality and his enduring fascination with the personalities of his time.

About the Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1864–1901

Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (1864-1901) was a French Post-Impressionist painter, printmaker, and illustrator whose innovative poster designs revolutionized graphic art and advertising in late 19th-century Paris. Born into an aristocratic family at Albi in southern France, Toulouse-Lautrec's privileged lineage traced back to the Counts of Toulouse and extended uninterrupted to th...