Description:In this lithograph, we see Toulouse-Lautrec experimenting with illusions of depth, using horizon lines in conjunction with diagonals to create a fantastic composition full of depth and mystery. Clearly showing his willingness to go beyond his realm of poster images, Toulouse-Lautrec was able to redefine the typical posters of his time, allowing his audience to appreciate them as an art form, rather than merely modes of advertisement.
Created in 1895 on wove paper in order to advertise the novel of the same name, Le Tocsin (La Châtelaine) features the signature monogram stamp of Toulouse Lautrec (1864 - 1901) engraved in the stone in the lower left with the date '95'. There are 12 prints of this rare edition featured in public collections, having been included in exhibitions at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Written by Jules de Gastyne, the short story Le Tocsin was to be published in the periodical, La Dépêche de Toulouse in which Toulouse-Lautrec was commissioned to create posters and ads. Evoking a mysterious atmosphere, Le Tocsin features a lady in white walking ponderingly down a steep path. The crescent moon illuminates a vague landscape in which a few rooftops and a bell can be seen. A timid dog follows her as they both continue to leave the world behind them and into a wooded environment. The effect of the grey-green color tone only adds to the characterization of the figures in this piece, undoubtedly linking them to the narrative from which this scene derives in the novel.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
This Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will enclose with the sale of the work) :
1) Adhémar, Jean. Toulouse-Lautrec: His Complete Lithographs and Drypoints, New York, 1951. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 147.
2) Adriani, Gotz. Toulouse Lautrec: The Complete Graphic Works A Catalogue Raisonne, London, 1988. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 143 on pg. 202-203.
3) Delteil Loys. H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, seconde partie, Paris, 1920. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 357.
4) Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Toulouse-Lautrec & His Contemporaries: Posters of the Belle Epoque from the Wagner Collection, Los Angeles, 1985. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 19.
5) Lugt, Frits. Les Marques de Collections de Dessins & d'Estampes, Amsterdam, 1921. Signature stamp listed and illustrated as cat. no. 1338 on pg. 240.
6) Wittrock, Wolfgang. Toulouse-Lautrec The Complete Prints, Vol II, New York, 1985. Listed and illustrated on pgs. 792-793 as cat. no. P19.
About the Framing:
Conservation framed with museum-quality, archival materials, this work is set in a beautiful Italian-style moulding that gracefully complements this marvelous work. Its accented gold moulding along each corner contrasts nicely with the bold turquoise blue accents of the piece. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover.
