Au Bal des Etudiants 1875 - 1949

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this poster, *Au Bal des Etudiants*, in late 19th century France, likely as a lithograph. The color palette is subdued, with just a few pops of yellow and red amidst a sea of grey. It’s all about capturing a moment, the gesture of a crowd, not necessarily a perfect representation. The material aspect that strikes me is the flatness, which is typical of printmaking. Yet, within that flatness, Lautrec creates an illusion of depth through line work. Look at the woman in the yellow dress. The yellow itself feels bold against the pale background, but it’s the hatching and cross-hatching that gives her form, especially in the ruffles of her dress. Those little marks, seemingly casual, build volume and texture. It reminds me a bit of Degas, whom Lautrec admired, but with a quicker, more graphic sensibility. Ultimately, it's a dance between representation and abstraction, where the beauty lies not in perfection, but in the artist's unique vision.