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1899 |
JANE AVRIL : the last poster Lautrec
made for his friend. After Lautrec’s death, Jane Avril became an actress
and played Ibsen and Colette. Later she got married, and lost her husband
in 1926. Ruined by 1930, she spent the rest of her days in an old people’s
home in Jouy-en-Josas. She died in 1943. In her memoirs, she says: “It
is more than certain that I owe him the celebrity I have enjoyed since his
first poster of me”. |
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1900 |
LA GITANE (The Gipsy) : “La
Gitane” (The Gipsy) was a Jean Richepin play produced at the Antoine
theatre by ravishing actress Marthe Mellot, Alfred Athis’ wife. At
the theatre’s request, Lautrec made a poster featuring the actress. |
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1900 |
AU BAL DES ETUDIANTS (At the Students’
Ball) : Lautrec spent his winter in Bordeaux. Local art dealer
and framer Imberti, a great admirer of the impressionists, lent the artist
a studio. Here, he painted portraits and made an illustration for the students’
Ball. This was the only poster Lautrec didn’t make into a lithograph,
instead choosing to produce it in fac-simile from the original drawing. |
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1896 |
ELLES (They) : Lautrec was in
the habit of going for long stays in brothels. He had a way with the residents,
who called him Mr. Henri. He was not judgemental and always treated the
women, as is only proper, as human beings. On his return, he strolled unrestrainedly
around the establishments, sketching, painting, observing life in this world
cut off from society where, to relieve the boredom, people talked, played
cards, even knitted. “Elles” (They) is a testimony, a report,
an homage to the rue des Moulins girls. |
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1892 |
AMBASSADEURS – ARISTIDE BRUANT ET
SON CABARET (Ambassadors – Aristide Bruant and his Cabaret) :
unfinished work. |
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1894 |
YVETTE GUILBERT : unfinished work. |
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1898 |
LE PAPIER “JOB” – SOLDAT
ANGLAIS FUMANT SA PIPE (The “Job” Paper – English Soldier
Smoking his Pipe) : unfinished work. |
