Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi 1864 - 1901 Malromé). Aux Variétés: Mademoiselle Lender, Brasseur, 1893. Lithograph printed in olive-green. 49,6x28,6cm. Signed in pencil and inscribed 'N°1' lower left. Delteil 41; Adhémar 44. Unobtrusive tear upper right. From a European private collection; Phillips 1990 (25 June) lot 477

Toulouse-Lautrec had a passion for the theater in all its forms, from the popular dance halls and cabarets to the avant-garde theaters of Paris. He was both a keen spectator and an active participant, designing posters, theater programs, scenery, and costumes for a number of theaters. Among his favorite subjects was the famous actress Marcelle Lender. He first encountered her in 1893, the year he began to attend the theater on a regular basis. The lithograph illustrates a scene of 'Le premier mari de France' with Marcelle Lender and Albert Brasseur, a vaudeville from Albin Valabregues.