Le Matin, Au Pied de l’Echafaud 1893

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec designed this lithograph as a poster for the newspaper "Le Matin," advertising the memoirs of Abbé Faure, a priest who assisted condemned prisoners. During the late 19th century, the spectacle of public executions was a contested issue, reflecting broader anxieties about justice, class, and the role of the state. Toulouse-Lautrec, living with physical disabilities, may have felt a kinship with those marginalized by society. The image depicts a prisoner at the foot of the guillotine, capturing a moment of stark vulnerability. Toulouse-Lautrec avoids glorifying the event, instead portraying the emotional and psychological weight of impending death. The somber figures of the priest and the executioner loom nearby, while the crowd is shown only as a dark, faceless mass, underscoring the dehumanizing aspects of public execution. Toulouse-Lautrec’s poster serves as a commentary on social justice and human dignity. It challenges viewers to confront the emotional realities of state-sanctioned death, and to consider the ethical implications of such spectacles.