Belle Époque and Beyond: Prints from the Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman
Belle Époque and Beyond: Prints from the Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
NAPOLEON (D. 358; ADR. 135; W. 140)
Lot Closed
November 23, 05:12 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
1864 - 1901
NAPOLEON (D. 358; ADR. 135; W. 140)
Lithograph printed in colors, 1895, signed in black crayon and numbered 'No 47' in pencil, on wove paper, printed by Ancourt, Paris, framed
image: 593 by 460 mm 23⅜ by 18⅛ in
sheet: 616 by 474 mm 24¼ by 18⅝ in
Isselbacher Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1981
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1981
An 1895 competition in search of an image to promote a forthcoming biography of Napoleon yielded Lautrec’s portrayal of the famed general. Despite taking great strides toward historic accuracy he felt certain would gain favor with the judges, Lautrec’s submission was not selected. Subsequent efforts on his part to attract editorial attention to the composition were unsuccessful and eventually, Lautrec himself paid for the image to be printed. Though better remembered for publicizing characters notorious in the theater rather than famous on the political stage, this lithograph emphasizes Lautrec’s inimitable skill at animating noteworthy figures in their cultural landscape.