Elsa, Known as La Viennoise
1897
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captures the elegance of Parisian nightlife in this 1897 portrait of Elsa, a Viennese woman known in the city's cabaret scene. Dressed in a striking blue coat with a massive, fluffy white fur collar, she stands poised near a staircase, her gaze direct and slightly mysterious. Lautrec's signature loose, sketchy style brings a sense of movement and immediacy to the scene, making Elsa look like she's just stepped out of a bustling Montmartre club. As a master of the lithograph, he used vibrant crayons to create this vivid illustration, perfectly freezing a moment of Belle Époque fashion and flair.
- Technique
- Color lithograph