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The Clown: M. Joret

1885
Not on view
Toulous-Lautrec drew caricatures throughout his career, beginning with the albums filled with small drawings that he made as a teenager. As he sat in Parisian clubs and cafes years later, he was still producing humorous sketches of the people he encountered. His hundreds of caricatures are varied in style, ranging from schematic outlines of figures to more finished and traditional "portraits-charges" sporting big heads and small bodies. This vigorous early drawing of a clown falls into the category of exaggerated sketch. Since clowns are meant to look funny to begin with, it is diffcult to asses to what degree the crossed eyes and enormous mustache were part of the man's actual appearance. Yet the brisk lines that give him a wild look place the drawing well within the realm of Toulouse-Lautrec's caricatures. Such caricatures informed much of the artist's other work including his humorous designs for song sheets, menus, theater programs, posters, and such journals as "Le Rire".

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Clown: M. Joret
  • Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, Albi 1864–1901 Saint-André-du-Bois)
  • Date: 1885
  • Medium: Pen and black ink (faded to brown)
  • Dimensions: 5 x 4 in. (12.7 x 10.21cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Justin K. Thannhauser, 1951
  • Object Number: 51.180
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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A Scene from Offenbach's La Belle Hélène, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, Lithograph
A Scene from Offenbach's La Belle Hélène
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
1900
Au Pied de L'Echaufaud
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
1893
Confetti, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, Lithograph printed in three colors on vellum
Confetti
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
1894
"Les Vieux Messieurs" (The Old Gentlemen), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, Lithograph on wove paper
"Les Vieux Messieurs" (The Old Gentlemen)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
1894
Madame Réjane, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, Lithograph on wove paper
Madame Réjane
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
1898

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