The wife of Thadée Nathanson, the editor of the French art and literary magazine La Revue Blanche, Misia Nathanson is presented here in beautiful form in Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec La Revue Blanche, 1895.

Wonderfully strong but sparse line work mixed with soft curves and billowing forms are Lautrec signatures, but what is interesting is his respect for Misia is widely apparent. A white fur shawl accompanies a gorgeous blue and red-dotted dress, allowing her blond hair to shine through the composition. With a face so delicate and comely and a pose that denotes elegance, it's difficult to imagine the force of the woman inside. Not complacent to sit ideally by while her husband worked, Misia won over a number of avant-garde writers, composers, and artists for the magazine creating important friendships. One of those friendships was with Lautrec who was a frequent visitor to the Nathanson home and created this portrait of Misia skating at the request of Thadée for the magazine's annual poster for 1896.

This large color lithograph printed in four colors of blue, red, black, and green was published by G. Carpentier and E. Fasquelle, Paris. Inscribed with the artist's initials "FL" and date in olive green in the lower left, this work is a third state as defined in Whittrock due to the lettering present. Printed by Ancourt, it is important to note that the colors in the upper and lower parts of the work may differ slightly as both halves of the sheet were not pulled simultaneously which is why the two wove paper sheets are linen-backed as issued.

Provenance:
San Francisco Gallery

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec La Revue Blanche, 1895 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

1. Adriani, Götz. Toulouse Lautrec: The Complete Graphic Works A Catalogue Raisonne, London, 1988. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 130 with another example illustrated.

2. Wittrock, Wolfgang. Toulouse-Lautrec The Complete Prints, Vol II, New York, 1985. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné P 16.

3. Delteil Loys. H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, seconde partie, Paris, 1920. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 355.

4. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Toulouse-Lautrec & His Contemporaries: Posters of the Belle Epoque from the Wagner Collection, Los Angeles, 1985. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 17.

5. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec La Revue Blanche, 1895 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complimentary moulding and finished with linen-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.