Moulin Rouge: La Goulue by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Maîtres de l'Affiche lithograph, 1898
An example in outstanding condition. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge: La Goulue, a masterpiece of the art poster medium, was a beacon of the romance, sensuality, and explosive creativity that surged through Paris’ Montmartre district during the fin de siècle. While the poster–and its artist–remain the most quintessential and definitive of the Belle Epoque period, nearly all of the original large-format La Goulue posters printed to advertise Paris’ famous Moulin Rouge and its stars were lost to damage or theft from having been pasted outdoors.
Intended for short-term display as advertisements, large-format posters were often cheaply produced, and collectors looking to own the most masterful and celebrated poster designs of the period turned to smaller and more opulently-produced versions from collections like Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, an art publication created by Belle Epoque master Jules Chéret. Chéret was considered to be the “father of the modern poster” and, through Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, collected the very best artworks from the most celebrated French artists at the turn of the century. By presenting these as limited, finely-printed lithographs through his printer Imprimerie Chaix, Chéret helped pave the way for collectors to own important works of art that might otherwise have barely survived, or have been reserved for museums.
This artwork is exquisitely presented in an archival frame and custom mat, which includes a cutout to reveal the Maîtres de l'Affiche stamp, and arrives accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Notable museum collections containing the large-format version of this work include: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Museum of Modern Art, New York City (one of a few known proofs), Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, National Gallery of Australia, and more.
As one the most famous names in 19th century art, notable museum collections featuring works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec include: Musée d'Orsay, Paris; Louvre Museum Database, Paris; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Guggenheim Museum, New York City; Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, France; Art Institute of Chicago; Norton Simon Museum, California; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.; Hermitage Museum, Russia; and more.
