Details
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
La grande Loge (L.D.204; A. 229; W. 177; Adriani 202)
lithograph printed in rich green-brown, red and blue, 1896-7, on fine wove paper, an exceptionally fine and fresh impression, an extremely rare trial proof before the edition of only twelve impressions published by G. Pellet, Paris, inscribed 'Passe' in pencil at the lower left corner and again (?) at the lower right corner, with a pencil inscription 'Au Theâtre' on the reverse, printed to the edge of the full sheet, a deckle edge at each side, a short crease at the lower right corner, an extremely soft handling crease at the lower left corner, generally in excellent, fresh condition
S. 508 x 394mm.
In common with other leading artists of the 1870s-1890s Toulouse-Lautrec was fascinated not only by the activities on the stage at the theatre and Café Concerts, but also by the 'Comedy of Life' that was played out amongst the spectators themselves.
His fascination with spectators can be found in works from the early 1880s and in many of the compostions he depicts the subject from a viewpoint which is both original and startling.
In La grande Loge a broad diagonal band marks the front of the theatre boxes and leads the eye into the composition; however the similar arc-shaped partitions separate the group and allow them to be viewed unobserved. The spectators are not the society figures or respectable male and female couples one might expect from some of the works of Cassat, Renoir and other artists of the time. Lautrec's own wit and sense of irony places in the foreground Mme Armande Brazier, a former courtesan and at this time the proprietress of Au Hanneton, a bar in the Rue Pigalle frequented by female couples and where the artist spent much time between 1896-8. Her companion, with the coquettish glance, is Emilienne d'Alençon, a dancer at the <->Folies Bergère<->. In the background, and separated by an empty box, we see not a 'society gentleman' but the imposing silhouette of Tom, the coachman of Baron de Rothschild, who was well acquainted with the artist from their frequent meetings at the Irish American Bar.
The artist formulated this composition in the Winter of 1896 with a highly worked study in peinture à l'essence and gouache (Private Collection, M. G. Dortu, Toulouse-Lautrec et son Oeuvre, New York, 1971, vol. III, no. 651, illustrated; formerly in the Mettler Collection and sold by Christie's in London, 2 July, 1979, lot 4, illustrated in colour) before proceeeding on the lithographic stones with work in crayon, brush, spatter technique and scraper.
Wittrock records a small number of colour proofs taken from one or more stones before the full five colour version. Most of these proofs are in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. Another rare colour proof was sold in these Rooms 11 December, 1991, lot 564, illustrated in colour. Neither Wittrock nor Adriani describe the present, unrecorded proof.
The delicate graduations of tone created by the spatter technique allowed only a very small number of impressions to be pulled. As a result, the lithograph was issued in January of 1897 at the high price of 60 Francs and in a numbered edition of only 12. Eight of these are now in public collections (including The Art Institute of Chicago, The Kunstmuseum Winterthur and the Albertina, Vienna); others are in the Gerstenberg Collection and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Lugano.
In approach, composition and technique this lithograph represents a pinnacle of the artist's achievement. Adriani, in his catalogue, ranks it 'among the finest works Toulouse-Lautrec ever produced'.