?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 20,000 - $ 30,000
HENRI DE TOULOUSE LAUTREC (1864-1901) MAY BELFORT. 1895. 32x23 1/2 inches. Kleinmann, Paris. Condition A. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was quite a character, a living caricature who embodied the spirit of Montmartre and bohemian life. He is considered a master painter and print maker by art historians and enjoys a status that no other graphic designer has achieved. His skill and reputation are well deserved and based on numerous factors: His talent as a draughtsman, his imagination, inventiveness and his mastery of lithography are all above comparison. Also, he was already an established, well regarded artist when he entered the poster field, one of the first "serious" artists to try their hand at this new art form of commercial lithography. His importance as an artist lent much needed gravitas to the poster field, and his subsequent unbridled success in the field helped to establish the poster as a serious art form. For these reasons he is the most voraciously collected graphic designer, and consequently his works fetch the highest prices. Being a true "original", Lautrec was known to suddenly go crazy for someone that amused or distracted him. May Belfort was an Irish performer who amused Lautrec with a singing act that went, "I've got a little cat, I'm very fond of that". The artist was so delighted by this ridiculous act that he designed a poster for her. It is a sensitive piece that shows far more artistry than one would normally expect to see in a commercial assignment. He uses an oblique line to create the illusion of a stage, a flat red for her gown that catches the eye, and delicate paintbrush, crachis<> and pen work to help create a sensitive portrait. It is a delicate image which shows Lautrec at his best. Delteil 354 I, Adriani 136 IV, Wittrock P 14 B.
