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Lot Essay
We know from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's prolific depictions of cabaret and theatrical scenes that he was a regular spectator at the Paris stage shows, so it is hardly surprising that he should try his hand at set design. Although landscapes were of less interest to him than blunt paintings of Montmartre nightlife and portraits of its regular visitors, he nonetheless designed sets for the Théâtre de l'Oeuvre and the Théâtre Libre on several occasions.
This draft of a set design for the Sanskrit play Chariot de terre cuite was acquired by Lugné-Pöe, the actor and stage director who founded the Théâtre de l'Oeuvre in March 1893 and was its director. The secular five-act play by 7th-century Indian prince, poet and playwright Shudraka relates the intrigues of a beautiful courtesan, a bankrupt merchant and a cruel prince. To stage it, Lugné-Pöe commissioned sets from Louis Valtat, Albert André and Toulouse-Lautrec at the end of 1894. Toulouse-Lautrec came up with two set designs for the play, but only one of them was built. The present work is a sketch of that single set design that was used. Between them, its cactus, lotus flowers, ruined temple, and huge elephant conjure up an oriental backdrop that transports both actors and spectators to more exotic climes. The set was acclaimed by theatre-goers, who were enchanted by this 'vision of India, suggested by essential elements: its past, with its wealth of artistic glory, the ruins of a temple, its landscapes [...], its fauna with the powerful, massive animal that is its treasure, its flora [...]' (R. Jean, L’Oeuvre, 1924- 1925). The play was performed in 1895 to triumphant acclaim.
As Toulouse-Lautrec had never in fact visited India, the oriental iconography seen here appears to have been drawn from his imagination and illustrations he had seen of this faraway land. It bears noting that the famed Moulin Rouge, which Toulouse-Lautrec famously frequented to study the nightlife of Paris, was known to harbour its own enormous elephant sculpture. This bizarre masterpiece was a relic of the 1889 Exposition Universelle which had been salvaged by the establishment's owner and erected within the gardens outside next to the stage to house the orchestra; both the structures and the animal itself bearing some resemblance to those depicted here. As such, one can surmise the possibility that we further see the artist consciously or subconsciously drawing on his own experience of performance from his spiritual home of the Paris cabaret.
This draft of a set design for the Sanskrit play Chariot de terre cuite was acquired by Lugné-Pöe, the actor and stage director who founded the Théâtre de l'Oeuvre in March 1893 and was its director. The secular five-act play by 7th-century Indian prince, poet and playwright Shudraka relates the intrigues of a beautiful courtesan, a bankrupt merchant and a cruel prince. To stage it, Lugné-Pöe commissioned sets from Louis Valtat, Albert André and Toulouse-Lautrec at the end of 1894. Toulouse-Lautrec came up with two set designs for the play, but only one of them was built. The present work is a sketch of that single set design that was used. Between them, its cactus, lotus flowers, ruined temple, and huge elephant conjure up an oriental backdrop that transports both actors and spectators to more exotic climes. The set was acclaimed by theatre-goers, who were enchanted by this 'vision of India, suggested by essential elements: its past, with its wealth of artistic glory, the ruins of a temple, its landscapes [...], its fauna with the powerful, massive animal that is its treasure, its flora [...]' (R. Jean, L’Oeuvre, 1924- 1925). The play was performed in 1895 to triumphant acclaim.
As Toulouse-Lautrec had never in fact visited India, the oriental iconography seen here appears to have been drawn from his imagination and illustrations he had seen of this faraway land. It bears noting that the famed Moulin Rouge, which Toulouse-Lautrec famously frequented to study the nightlife of Paris, was known to harbour its own enormous elephant sculpture. This bizarre masterpiece was a relic of the 1889 Exposition Universelle which had been salvaged by the establishment's owner and erected within the gardens outside next to the stage to house the orchestra; both the structures and the animal itself bearing some resemblance to those depicted here. As such, one can surmise the possibility that we further see the artist consciously or subconsciously drawing on his own experience of performance from his spiritual home of the Paris cabaret.