Yvette Guilbert Singing

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's "Yvette Guilbert Singing" (1894) is a graphite drawing with smudging on pieced ivory wove paper, depicting the famous French singer Yvette Guilbert (1865–1944). Guilbert was one of the most celebrated performers of the Parisian music halls, known for her distinctive voice, her elegant appearance, and her risqué repertoire. Lautrec was a friend and admirer of Guilbert, and he produced many portraits of her in various media, including the famous poster series "Yvette Guilbert" (1894). This drawing captures her in performance, her mouth open in song, her long neck and distinctive profile rendered with Lautrec's characteristic economy of line. The graphite technique is rapid and confident, the lines capturing the essence of the singer's pose and expression. The smudging adds soft areas of tone. The pieced paper suggests that the drawing was assembled from multiple sheets, perhaps because Lautrec was working quickly to capture the performance. This portrait is both a document of a legendary performer and a masterpiece of Lautrec's draftsmanship.

Lautrec's portraits of Yvette Guilbert are among the most iconic images of fin-de-siècle Parisian entertainment, capturing the elegance and wit of one of the city's most celebrated performers.

This drawing of Yvette Guilbert singing captures the elegance and energy of the celebrated performer with Lautrec's characteristic economy, the rapid graphite line conveying both her physical presence and her stage charisma.