American Singer (from Le Café Concert)

Description

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s American Singer raises an arm dramatically while facing toward the left. The male performer’s checked jacket gives the half-length figure a lively pattern, contrasting with the more open surrounding field. Gesture and clothing together make the image active, allowing a singing presence to be suggested through the body rather than a detailed stage setting.

Dated 1893, the work combines brush and spatter lithography printed in black on wove paper. The medium gives the image a range between direct marks and dispersed ink, connecting the subject with a varied graphic surface. Edward Ancourt printed the design for L’Estampe Originale. Toulouse-Lautrec’s print preserves an individual contribution to the series, allowing a performer to remain the center of attention even where the title leaves their precise identity open.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec collection.