A Monkey Playing on His Back

1880

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Associated Names
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Artist, French, 1864 - 1901

This is a drawing of a monkey. The monkey is in a relaxed pose with an expressive face. The image shows a monkey lying down with its limbs extended, one arm raised, and its tail gently curved. The sketch features loose, gestural lines that capture the dynamism of the animal’s form. The face of the monkey is detailed with a subtle expression. Pencil shading is used for light and shadow, adding depth to the drawing. The overall composition maintains a sense of movement and fluidity, suggesting the natural energy of the animal.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Evelyn Stefansson Nef

  • Dimensions

    overall: 15.8 x 25.7 cm (6 1/4 x 10 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2001.57.1.a

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Dortu 1971, Vol. 4, 266, no. 2

Associated Artworks

A Lady with a Fancy Hairdo and Hat

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

1880

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustav Pellet, Paris (1859 - 1919); his son-in-law, Maurice Exsteens, Paris; (Justin K. Thannhauser, Paris); (his sale, Parke Bernet, New York, 12 April 1945, no. 40). Curtis O. Baer [1898-1976], Atlanta; by descent; (Jill Newhouse, New York); purchased 2001 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1943

  • Toulouse-Lautrec Exhibition, Weyhe Gallery, New York, 1943.

1958

  • Drawings from the Collection of Curtis O. Baer. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 1958, no. 50 (cat. by Agnes Mongan).

1985

  • Master Drawings from Titian to Picasso: The Curtis O. Baer Collection, High Museum of Art, Atlanta; NGA, Washington, D.C.; and tour, 1985 - 1987, no. 86 (cat. by Eric M. Zafran).

2000

  • Prints Abound, Paris in the 1890s, NGA, Washington, D.C., 2000-2001 (not in catalogue).

  • Prints Abound: Paris in the 1890s, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000-2001, no. 94b.

2004

  • Six Centuries of Prints and Drawings: Recent Acquisitions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2004 - 2005

2012

  • Vernet to Villon: Nineteenth-Century French Master Drawings from the National Gallery of Art. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma. Norman, OK, 2012, no. 21.

Bibliography

1927

  • Joyant, Maurice. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864-1901, vol. II, Dessins-Estampes-Affiches. Paris, 1927: 180.

1971

  • Dortu, M.G. Toulouse-Lautrec et son oeuvre. 6 vols. New York: Collectors Editions, 1971.

2000

  • Prints Abound: Paris in the 1890s. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000-2001: no. 94b.

Inscriptions

by the artist, lower left in graphite: 1880; by the artist, right center in graphite: T-L; by the artist, center verso in graphite: T-L

Wikidata ID

Q64573658

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