Description
Les Vieux Messieurs — Original Lithographic Song Sheet (1894)
This original lithographic song sheet, Les Vieux Messieurs (1894), is part of the series created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec for the composer and bassoonist Désiré Dihau. Issued without musical notation, this format presents the composition as an independent graphic work rather than a functional piece of sheet music.
The image exemplifies Lautrec’s mature approach to draftsmanship in the mid-1890s. Using spare, fluid line and minimal tonal intervention, he captures the character and posture of two figures in close proximity. The open background and emphasis on contour reflect the influence of Japanese prints and the artist’s broader effort to reduce form to its essentials.
Sheets from the Dihau series occupy a distinct position within Lautrec’s printed work, bridging the immediacy of his posters with more intimate, privately circulated material. Examples without music are particularly scarce and are documented in the standard catalogues raisonnés, including Delteil, Wittrock, Adhémar, and Adriani.
There is no indication of later publisher imprint or reissue markings associated with 20th-century reproductions such as the 1935 H. Lefebvre editions. The work is therefore consistent with an original period impression.
Presented in a 16 x 20-inch acid-free archival museum mat, the sheet remains in excellent condition.
Reference: Delteil 139, Wittrock 134, Adhémar 80 II, Adriani 95 II, figure study, Paris, fin de siècle, rare print
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