DISCOVERART

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Study

c. 1893
Charcoal, with colored crayons, on tan wove paper
50.9 × 34.8 cm (20 × 13.7 in)

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Not currently on view

In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Here Lautrec depicted his favorite printmaker, Père Cotelle, pulling on the lever of the star wheel, which moved the lithographic stone through the press. Over sketched lines, Lautrec determined the exact placement of the machine and its operator, simplifying their forms in the process. Set at a dynamic angle to the viewer, these elements would help draw attention to the figure of Jane Avril in the finished image.

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