New Year's Greeting (Le compliment du jour de l'an) 1897

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this lithograph, "New Year's Greeting," using grease crayons on transfer paper. Toulouse-Lautrec was a master of the print medium, which allowed him to circulate his images widely, beyond the elite circles of the art world. In this lithograph, the immediacy of the grease crayon lines, the texture of the paper, and the slight imperfections of the printing process all contribute to its raw, spontaneous feel. The artist made no attempt to disguise the means of production; rather, he celebrated the aesthetics of the modern age and its technologies. This embrace of the everyday also aligns with Toulouse-Lautrec’s choice of subject matter: he frequently depicted the demimonde of Montmartre, the dance halls and brothels, capturing the lives of working-class entertainers and prostitutes. This lithograph encapsulates Toulouse-Lautrec's commitment to portraying the gritty realities of urban life, while demonstrating how art can be brought to the masses.