Description
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – Napoléon, 1950 Lithograph (Book Plate XIII, after 1895 design)
This Toulouse-Lautrec Napoléon lithograph is a 1950 book plate reproduction of the artist’s 1895 poster design, created for a competition organized by Boussod & Valadon to promote Sloane’s Histoire de Napoléon Ier. The composition presents a rigid Prussian officer mounted on horseback, rendered with Lautrec’s characteristic economy of line and subtle tonal layering, offering a pointed and quietly satirical commentary on military authority.
Printed in five colors—yellow, red-brown, blue, and tonal greys—the work reflects Lautrec’s early mastery of lithography, where gesture and atmosphere are conveyed with remarkable efficiency. This example is Book Plate XIII, issued as part of a 1950 edition, and is not a period poster but a later lithographic reproduction after the original design.
This Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph of Napoléon is a 1950 bookplate reproduction after the artist’s 1895 poster design, depicting a mounted officer in a restrained yet subtly satirical composition. Created during Lautrec’s formative exploration of lithography, the image demonstrates his ability to convey character and critique through minimal line and controlled color.
As a posthumous lithograph, this work offers an accessible entry point into Lautrec’s graphic output, preserving one of his lesser-known poster concepts tied to a late 19th-century publishing competition. Such bookplate editions were produced in limited contexts and are increasingly appreciated for their connection to original fin-de-siècle designs.
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