Artcurial to Auction Rare Toulouse-Lautrec Lithograph Trial Proofs on May 20
The Facts
Artcurial will offer a group of five trial proofs for Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's colour lithograph 'La Femme à la fourrure' on May 20, 2026, at 5pm, as part of its 'Editions and Multiples' sale. The proofs, which the artist destroyed while awaiting the final signed impression, were later reassembled and laid down on wove paper. Acquired in 1978 in London at the Charell auction, they have remained in a single European collection ever since. The lot also includes the final signed version of the lithograph, which depicts a prostitute named Émilie, a model who posed for Toulouse-Lautrec and appears in a graphite drawing held at the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec.
The Signal
The sale of these trial proofs represents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a unique group of works that document Toulouse-Lautrec's technical process in colour lithography, a medium he revolutionised under the influence of Japanese prints and Pierre Bonnard. The artist's empathetic portrayal of his subject, free from moral judgment, distinguishes this work from contemporary depictions of brothel life. With additional lots by Pierre Soulages, Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, and Francis Bacon, the auction offers a broad survey of modern and contemporary editions. The provenance and the survival of these destroyed proofs add significant art-historical value, likely attracting strong interest from institutional and private collectors focused on printmaking and late 19th-century French art.
- Artists: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Auction Houses: Artcurial
- Museums: Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
- Locations: Paris
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