Portret van acteur Antoine en Mademoiselle Saville in toneelstuk L'Inquiétude in het Théâtre Libre

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec *Portret van acteur Antoine Mademoiselle Saville inelstuk L'Inqui in het Théâtre Libre*1894) captures a vivid moment from Paris's avant-garde theater scene The lithograph depicts actors André Antoine—the innovative founder of the Théâtre Libre—and Mademoiselle Saville in theist play *L'Inétude*. This intimate 372 × 263 mm print reflects Lautrec's fascination with the bohem underbelly of fin-de-siècle Montmartre, where theater boundaries against traditional melodrama. Lautrec, a Post-Impressionist master of lithography, elevated the medium from commercial posters to fine art. His bold lines, flattened perspectives, and psychological insight into performers brought the energy of live theater to paper, often printed in multiple colors though this work highlights his precise black-and-white technique. The Théâtre Libre, Antoine's experimental venue opened in 1887, championed realism and influenced modern drama, making this portrait a snapshot of cultural rebellion. Bearing the collector's mark Lugt 2228, this piece underscores Lautrec's legacy in democratizing art through affordable prints, immortalizing the stars of Paris's nightlife for everyday audiences. A testament to his genius for portraying transient glamour, it invites us to feel the tension of the stage.

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...