Toulouse-Lautrec

(actual image of our Confetti)
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, HENRI DE
(1864-1901)
CONFETTI
Wittrock P13, Adhemar 9
Original brush, spatter, and crayon lithograph
Printed in 3 colors on wove paper, c. 1893
Bearing Artist’s Signature Monogram Stamp
Signed in the plate, lower right
Only State, from the edition of approx. 100
Image size: 22 1/4” x 17 1/2”

Toulouse Lautrec, like no other nineteenth century artist was deeply influenced by Japanese woodblock prints. Just like the exuberant life of the amusement quarters of the Japanese Edo period, it was the nightlife of Montmartre in Paris, which inspired the works of this incredible artist. And like the great Ukiyo-e artist Utamaro, Toulouse Lautrec not only painted the world of brothels, but was a frequent guest himself. This cheerful poster was commissioned by the London firm J. & E. Bella, manufacturers of confetti, which was available in Paris only on the black market after being banned following the 1892 Mardi Gras. Before this time confetti had been composed of rather dangerous plaster chips. It was outlawed when a rage of
confetti was thrown from balconies injuries many passers by. In perhaps the gayest of all his images, a giddy, half-length girl is dizzily overwhelmed by the product she advertises. The shapes of the figure flatten and merge into decorative patterns, and the hands emerge on the paper rather than in space. The assertion of two-dimensional design at the expense of naturalism, a feature borrowed from Japanese woodblock prints, gave a visual punch to Lautrec’s posters rarely achieved by his contemporaries. Lithographed posters proliferated during the 1890s due to technical advances in color printing and the relaxation of laws restricting the placement of posters. Dance halls, café-concerts, and festive street life invigorated nighttime activities. Toulouse-Lautrec’s brilliant posters, made as advertisements, captured the vibrant appeal of the prosperous Belle Époque. A partial listing of public collections: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA; Tate Museum, Great Britain.

Take a look - http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/35853 or here http://www.sdmart.org/lautrec/Confetfs.html

or if you want to have one for yourself give us a call at 904-810-0460 or 1800-268-2240
we have it hanging in the gallery just waiting for it's new owner. Pretty cool.