Programme du Bénéfice Gémier 1896 - 1897

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created this artwork to advertise a benefit performance for the actor Gémier in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. The drawing uses loose lines to depict Gémier holding a script, a rather understated portrait for a poster. Toulouse-Lautrec was deeply embedded in the theater and nightlife scene of Paris, which had experienced major cultural shifts during the nineteenth century, becoming more commercial and populist. The cabaret subculture was both an exciting site of artistic experimentation and a booming industry. Toulouse-Lautrec's posters embraced the commercial nature of art. Historians examine details like the location of theaters, the economic relationships between performers and artists, and the changing social status of actors to understand the complex forces that shaped the art of this period. This is an example of how art is always intertwined with the social conditions of its time.