Truffier and Moreno, in Les Femmes Savantes 1893

Editor: Here we have Toulouse-Lautrec's lithograph from 1893, "Truffier and Moreno, in Les Femmes Savantes," currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s a black and white print that seems to depict a scene from a play... What's striking to me is the contrast between the roughly sketched figures in the background and the comparatively detailed figure in the armchair. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The materiality of this lithograph speaks volumes. Think about the stone itself, the labour involved in its preparation and etching, and the industrial printing process that made multiple reproductions possible. It democratizes the image, transforming the consumption of theatrical representation. Editor: So, it's about accessibility through production? Curator: Precisely. It makes one think about the culture of spectatorship, both at the theatre and in the broader art market. How does the production of images influence how we understand representation? Editor: I see your point. The mass production means the artwork is more readily available to people outside traditional, wealthy art consumers. It also sort of immortalizes a particular performance, right? Curator: Exactly! And we should think about the material of theatre itself. The costumes, sets and props that disappear after the show are now permanently rendered. What does that do to our understanding of those ephemeral materials and the labour involved in stagecraft? Editor: It’s fascinating to consider the social and economic implications alongside the aesthetic qualities. Thanks! I'm definitely going to look at art through this lens more often. Curator: Indeed, materiality offers new ways to analyze the art. It was my pleasure.