Le Divan Japonais
Montmartre, Paris, 1892, published January 1893
Colour lithograph
Toulouse-Lautrec established his name with poster designs, particularly those made to advertise the cabaret, Le Moulin Rouge. Many of his posters were heavily influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints, with their large flat areas of colour, stylised shapes and strong outlines. One of Toulouse-Lautrec’s unrivalled techniques was the splatter technique (known as crachis), which is seen here especially in some of the darker areas, such as the man’s trousers. This poster was commissioned to announce the re-opening of Le Divan Japonais cafe after major renovations.
Purchased 1957 (57.4)