Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Au Concert

1896

Lithograph printed by Albert Berger, Vienna. This design "was considered very advanced in 1899, with its large scale portrayal of the motif and the almost complete renunciation of interior drawing. The silhouette of the body is in mysterious contrast to the realistically portrayed head and hands. The unwavering gaze of the woman underlines the symbolism of the design: the Norn [ancient Norse goddess of fate] with the hour-glass and snake-ring embodies the eternal circle of life and the running out of time" (Vienna Secession, Denscher, p. 45). As the poster was originally used in 1899, the waning sand in the hourglass quite naturally can be assumed to be the coming of the end of the century. KOLOMAN MOSER: Instead of applying his flair and art education to paintings, Koloman Moser embodied the idea of Gesamt Kunstwerk (all-embracing art work) by designing architecture, furniture, jewelry, graphics, and tapestries meant to coordinate every detail of an environment. His work transcended the imitative decorative arts of earlier eras and helped to define Modernism for generations to come. Moser achieved a remarkable balance between intellectual structure (often geometric) and hedonistic luxury. Collaborating with Gustav Klimt and Josef Hoffmann, the artist was an editor and active contributor to Ver Sacrum, (Sacred Spring), the journal of the Viennese Secession that was so prized for its aesthetics and high quality production that it was considered a work of art. The magazine featured drawings and designs in the Jugendstil (Youth Style) along with literary contributions from distinguished writers from across Europe. It quickly disseminated both the spirit and the style of the Secession. In 1903 Moser and Hoffmann founded and led the Wiener Werkstatte (Viennese Workshop) a collective of artisans that produced elegant decorative arts items, not as industrial prototypes but for the purpose of sale to the public. The plan, as idealistic then as now, was to elevate the lives of consumers by means of beautiful and useful interior surroundings. Moser’s influence has endured throughout the century. His design sensibility is evident from the mid-century modern furniture of the 1950s and ‘60s to the psychedelic rock posters...

Color Lithograph on wove paper, 1896. Artist's orange-red and black signature stamps, numbered in pencil (#12), from edition of 100 published by A. Vollard in the 2nd "Album des esta...

Published by F. Champenois, Paris. "Bénédictine shows two girls pressing flowers amid book leaves, to remind us of the herbs that go into making the liqueur; the bottom part of the poster has a panorama of the Fecamp Abbey where the drink originated. Around 1510, one of the monks, Dom Bernardo Vincelli, prepared a liqueur using local wine and native herbs found in nearby woods, together with a few imported ingredients including muscat, ginger, clove and cardamom" (Wine Spectator, 70). As with all poster this size, the lithograph was made, in color, on two panels and joined at the center. Alphonse Mucha was a painter and decorative artist best known for the sensual Art...

Jan Toorop was born in Java, studied in Holland and then spent three key years in Brussels, where he was a member of the circle of artists, "Les XX," during which time he befriended ...

“One of Mucha’s best Czech posters, printed by the firm of V. Neubert in the Smichov quarter of Prague, was for Princezna Hyacinta, a fairy-tale ballet and pantomime with music by Oskar Nedbal and libretto by Ladislav Novák. The portrait of the popular actress Andula Sedlácková as the princess dominates the poster. The plot develops as a dream of a village blacksmith who falls asleep after digging for a buried treasure. In his dreams he becomes lord of a castle, and his daughter Hanicka becomes the Princess Hyacinth. Of her three suitors, one is a sorcerer who abducts her to his underground palace, but she is rescued by a poor knight who looks like her real-life lover. Mucha used the motif of the hyacinth throughout the entire design, from embroideries to silver jewelry, and for an elaborate circle sparkling against the mossy green background. The portrait of the actress is seen against a sky full of stars and encircled with images from the dream: the blacksmith’s tools...

Color lithograph on Chine volant, 1899. Edition of aproximately 112. Printed by H. Stern, Paris. Published by Pierrefort, Paris. Reference: Wittrock; 308-2nd edition, vol. 2, pg. 6...

"Morning Awakening" from the series "The Times of the Day" Original lithograph Signed "Mucha" and dated "99" for 1899, at the lower part of the plate. There is no hand-written signa...

Cirage Jacquot et Cie is an 1886 chromolithograph of Lucien Lefèvre's delightful poster, printed at Imprimerie Chaix under the direction Ernest Maindron...

Alcazar d'Hiver is an 1896 chromolithograph of Choubrac's brilliant poster, printed at Imprimerie Chaix under the direction Ernest Maindron and G. Boudet for the lauded poster collec...

Le Cenacle is an 1897 chromolithograph of Victor Mignot's poster, printed at Imprimerie Chaix under the direction Ernest Maindron and G. Boudet for the lauded poster collection 'Les ...

Portrait of Philip Andreevich Malavin.1879.Paper, lithography, 32x23 cm with minor defects. Leon Bakst. (1866-1924)

Stipple point etching on tissue-thin handmade Japon paper, 7 5/8 x 5 inches (193 x 126 mm), full margins. Signed, titled, dated, inscribed and numbered 10/25 in pencil, lower margin....