Une Faillite - Le Poète et le Financier Circa 1895

This delicate and rare original lithographic poster by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was created around 1895 for a double bill at Le Théâtre Libre, featuring Une Faillite and Le Poète et le Financier. As with much of Lautrec’s work, the composition captures a private, behind-the-scenes moment with understated elegance and psychological depth. A woman seated before a mirror has her hair arranged by another, their postures calm yet evocative of interior drama—a fitting metaphor for the human themes explored on stage.

Printed by the famed Imprimerie Eugène Verneau, this poster was more than just promotion—it was a quiet visual poem that mirrored the literary nature of the plays it advertised. Une Faillite (A Bankruptcy), a prose drama in four acts, and Le Poète et le Financier, a single-act verse play, delve into themes of ruin, ambition, and the tension between art and commerce. Lautrec illustrates this contrast through minimal linework and touches of color—most notably the golden hair and rouge lips of the seated woman, symbols of vanity, beauty, and theatrical illusion.

This poster is an outstanding example of Toulouse-Lautrec’s ability to convey atmosphere and emotion with economy and grace. Unlike the more flamboyant prints for Parisian cabarets, this work feels introspective and literary, aligning perfectly with the mission of Le Théâtre Libre—a hub for serious, experimental theatre in fin-de-siècle Paris. It remains a quietly powerful reminder of Lautrec’s deep connection to the stage and his unique eye for human nuance.

Theater - Literature - Art Nouveau

Henri Rivière scenery - Free Theater

Eugène Verneau Paris

Très bon état