La Coiffure. 1893.

ARTIST: HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901) SIZE: 12 3/8 x 19 5/8 in./31.5 x 50 cm PRINTER: Imp. Eugène Verneau, Paris (not shown) DESCRIPTION: Lautrec’s interest in theatre began in 1893 and he was especially fond of the Théâtre Libre directed by his friend André Antoine. The image is somewhat related to an earlier painting by Lautrec, which showed a scene in the Rue de Moulin brothel. This experimental theatre’s audience was necessarily limited: “The only people who could attend [Antoine’s] plays were the two-hundred patrons who bought season tickets. Naturally, they included the elite of the intellectual avant-garde” (Frey, p. 368). This is the rare proof before letters, numbered 86 of 100 numbered editions. (Art Nouveau; Artist: Toulouse-Lautrec)