The Chap Book. 1896.

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The Chap Book. 1896.
Toulouse-Lautrec may have been embedded in raffish Montmartre, but from 1894 onwards, he'd descend every afternoon to hold court at the Irish and American Bar, at 33 rue Royale in the upscale Right Bank. Behind the gleaming mahogany bar, a Chinese-Indian bartender named Ralph maintained the establishment with stoical calm as he served the British jockeys and trainers who frequented the house. For Toulouse-Lautrec, this was his home-away-from-home, and he "presided over the clients in the bar as he had over his house guests, insisting to Ralph that people he didn't like not be admitted" (Frey, p. 390). This scene proved irresistible to Stone & Kimball, the Chicago publishers of The Chap Book, a biweekly American literary magazine, who commissioned the piece from La Plume (which was provided by Lautrec). The poster was never used in the United States; possibly it was intended to promote the magazine's sales in France. As Alain Weill indicates, "One hundred copies were run off but without any mention of the printer's name" (Weill/Art Nouveau, p. 40). This is that rare version before letters.

Size: 24 1/8 x 16 7/8 in./61 x 43 cm
Condition: A-/ Mat stains at edges. P. Framed.
Printer: Imp. Chaix, Paris
Reference: Wittrock, P18A; Adriani, 139-I; Wagner, 24 (var); DFP-II, 846 (var); Wine Spectator, 51 (var); PAI-LXXVI, 435
Key Words: Art Nouveau; Artist: Toulouse-Lautrec; Literary; Alcohol