Le Fardeau de la liberté 1897

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's "Le Fardeau de la Liberté" (1897) is a poster for Tristan Bernard's play of the same name. The poster depicts a man in a checkered jacket, reaching out with his right arm as if grasping for something. A small black dog is drawn in the foreground. The title of the play is written in large letters at the top of the poster, indicating the importance of the play's theme of freedom. The work is characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's use of bold lines, flat colors, and a sense of movement. The poster is an important example of Art Nouveau and is considered one of Toulouse-Lautrec's finest works.