Affiche voor het boek Le Tocsin in de krant La Dépêche de Toulouse 1895

Editor: This is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1895 poster, "Affiche voor het boek Le Tocsin in de krant La Dépêche de Toulouse," currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It is a drawing done in ink and print, serving as a poster for a newspaper advertisement. The overwhelming palette creates an atmosphere of somber reflection. What stylistic choices draw your attention? Curator: Certainly. Focusing on its formal qualities, note how Lautrec uses line, or the suggestion thereof, to structure the composition. The trees serve as vertical pillars, contrasted by the curvilinear figure. Consider how the flatness of the image emphasizes the medium; this is, above all, a design meant for reproduction. Notice how tonal gradation is eschewed for blocks of color; it is this bold choice that helps to make the image 'pop' from a distance, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, that is quite perceptive. I'd not thought about the intent that informs its visibility, or "graphic" properties. How do you think its structure guides our reading of its intended purpose? Curator: The division of space is telling. The figure and the hound are set lower and dominate the space. Their positioning suggests not just a stroll but, due to the addition of "Le Tocsin," a feeling of alert. Above is 'La Depeche'. Would you consider the division as an intentional message? Editor: Definitely, especially given its nature as a print; one could extrapolate that this work emphasizes advertising as not only informational but aesthetically oriented. A formal articulation, mirroring its function. I appreciate your perspective! Curator: And I yours. Observing the construction enhances an understanding of not only its visual appeal, but also its practical utility.