Brandès et Leloir, dans Cabotins. The actor and Actress Brandès and Leloir in 'The Scoundrels'. by Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864-1901

Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864-1901
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Brandès et Leloir, dans Cabotins. The actor and Actress Brandès and Leloir in 'The Scoundrels'.

Original lithograph in olive green ink. 1894. Signed with the red monogram stamp; also with the monogram in the stone. From the edition of 50 impressions. Probably printed at the Atelier Ancourt. Published by Kleinmann, Paris 1894.
Ref: Wittrock - Lautrec Prints no 53; Adriani -Lautrec no 68

Superb strong contrasty impression. On pale cream smooth wove paper. Excellent condition. Full margins. Sheet: 22 1/8 x 15 1/8ins. Image overall: 16 x 11 7/8 (406x300mm)

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An absolutely outstanding example of Lautrec's incomparable ability to use the drawn line to evoke character and situation. The extraordinarily evocative exaggerations of form in the drawing of the man's features, the wonderful shapes and tones, the stylisation of the face of the woman so that all the focus is on the eyes, eyebrows and mouth, and the contrasts of the two poses, profile and full face, as the two face each other in argument, are a superb example of the genius of drawing which makes Lautrec's work unique.

During the mid 1890's Lautrec found some of his greatest inspiration in the Paris theatres, rather than in his more familiar haunts of the Moulin Rouge or the other music halls. He drew a sequence of compositions of the great characters of the Paris stage in the flamboyant and expressive poses then favoured. However these studies are not records of theatrical appearances, Lautrec used them as a source for gesture and for the facial expressions which so fascinated him. They were vehicles for his expressive drawing in itself.

The study above shows two famous stage personalities of the day, Georges Leloir and Marthe Brandès, (whose real name was Marthe-JosephineBrunswig), as quarrelling husband and wife in a play called 'Les Cabotins - The Scoundrels'. In this scene both are .accusing the other of dubious origins despite claiming to be aristocratic.