French Lithograph 'L'Artisan Moderne' by Toulouse-Lautrec 1930

First created by Lautrec in 1894 as a poster to sell the wares of Parisian Interior designer Andre Marty and his store L'Artisan Moderne, it bears little relevance to the business it was designed to advertise. See picture #2 which is the finished advertising poster complete with text.

In a parody of the stock vignette popular at the time ~'the Doctors visit'~ an artisan arrives at his clients house and is shown into her boudoir by the maid! He is equipped with a tool box instead of a Doctors bag and the negligee clad client smilingly awaits his attentions. The raised ears on the little dog and the maids shocked expression add to the licentious nature of the visit. As does the lascivious look on the face of the 'Doctor'.

In the fore-runner to our modern usage of sex to sell almost anything mundane, Lautrec is at the fore-front of advertising. This little charmer would have sold a lot of home-wares.

Measuring 14" x 10" this limited edition Lithograph was made by Imprimerie Julien Paris in 1930 and is in Condition A and signed in the plate. It is one of a series of Lautrec Lithographs I am listing.

Henry-Marie Raymond de Toulose-Lautrec- Monfa (1864 - 1901) was born of an aristocratic French family and gained fame as a painter, print-maker, draughtsman and illustrator.His name and work is synonymous with the Art Nouveau movement. He immersed himself in his painting and the colorful night-life of Montmartre, capturing the seedier side of Paris and making it appear inviting and exciting. Mocked for his short stature he turned to alcohol and died of alcoholism and syphilis at 36. Although his career spanned only 20 years he is recognized as one of the great painters of the post-Impressionist period.

Item ID: RL00146