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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

The Box, Faust

1896
Lithograph in violet black on cream wove paper
37.2 × 26.5 cm (14.6 × 10.4 in)

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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

Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s tale of life, death, and the divine, Charles Gounod’s opera tells the tragic story of Faust, a scholar; Mephistopheles, a demon; and Faust’s love, Marguerite. Here, Lautrec seats the viewer beside two theatergoers in their exclusive box seats. With the famous soprano Rose Caron pictured faintly in the background, the spectators too become performers, with the seated woman’s dramatic dress and expressive posture drawing the viewer closer.

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