Ida Heath at the Bar

Description

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec brings Ida Heath into a bar scene facing the broad, pale back of a man at the left. Her small top hat gives the woman a distinct profile at the right, while the surrounding bar establishes their shared setting. The contrast of positions makes the encounter readable through direction and scale, rather than a full view of either face.

Dated 1894, the work is a lithograph using crayon, brush, spatter and scraper, printed in black ink on wove paper. Its varied graphic processes give the image a range beyond a simple contour drawing, while the single ink keeps the surface unified. Toulouse-Lautrec preserves one person within a particular social setting, making the encounter distinct without requiring a complete performance to be represented. The print offers a lasting view of a named figure in daily company.

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