Description
La Dépêche de Toulouse — Book Plate XXIV Lithographic Print (1950)
This lithographic book plate XXIV presents Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1892 design commissioned by Arthur Huc, director of La Dépêche de Toulouse. The composition reflects Lautrec’s early poster work, where narrative atmosphere plays a central role, here rendered through a stark interior scene illuminated by candlelight.
The image depicts a cloaked figure opening a door onto a suspended body, a moment of theatrical tension conveyed through simplified forms and controlled contrasts. Lautrec’s use of line and shadow creates a sense of immediacy while maintaining the graphic clarity essential to his poster practice.
The original poster was part of a larger announcement promoting the publication of the serialized novel Dramas of Toulouse by A. Siegel, beginning April 16. In its initial state, the design was integrated into a broader three-color lithographic sheet that contained the full-text advertisement.
This example is taken from a secondary version of the composition, in which the image was redrawn and the date 1895 added, reflecting its adaptation beyond the original announcement format. The present 1950 reproduction belongs to the postwar revival of Lautrec’s graphic work, preserving the design in a reduced, collectible format.
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