Marcel Salinas and Toulouse Lautrec Lithographs
© 1992-2024 – Editions des Légendes
© 1992-2024 – Editions des Légendes
In 1969 the renowned painter and “Grand Master” lithographer, Marcel Salinas, was asked by Pablo Picasso to collaborate with him on the series of the 29 fanciful “Portraits Imaginaires”.
In 1971 Salinas created 3 sold out lithograph editions chosen from the collections of the Toulouse Lautrec Museum in Albi, France bearing the stamp of the “Société des Amis de Toulouse Lautrec.”
It is no wonder that in 1992, the venerable 91-year-old Count of Toulouse Lautrec, heir of the artist and head of the noble dynasty, insisted that the creation of 2 new lithograph editions could not proceed without the involvement of Marcel Salinas.
The Count selected the two paintings from renown museum collections:
"At The Moulin Rouge, The Dance”
from the McIlhenny Collection at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art
and
“The Clownesse Cha-U-Kao”
from the Oskar Reinhart Collection
Winterthur, Switzerland
Salinas began the arduous and precise tasks of hand drawing a separate drawing for each of the lithograph plates. Every subtle color variation required its’ own plate, printing the multiple color plates, one on top of the other, examining the artwork and making subtle changes. Each edition required over 14 hand drawn plates.
​
With his artist’s sensitivity and genius lithograph techniques, Salinas created a fluid, shimmering, translucent, symphony of details and colors, capturing the essence of the original paintings by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec.
© 1992-2024 – Editions des Légendes
Marcel Salinas and Count Raymond de Toulouse Lautrec in Paris
© 1992-2024 – Editions des Légendes
Karen LeShufy and Count Raymond de Toulouse Lautrec in Paris
In 1992 there was a wonderful confluence events in the art world. After years of planning, negotiating loans with international museums and private collectors, the major retrospective of Toulouse Lautrec was to open at the legendary Parisian exhibition hall, the Grand Palais.
​
Included amongst the paintings of this long awaited exhibition were:
“At The Moulin Rouge: The Dance”
and
Salinas was working on these lithographs at the Arts-Litho atelier. In the evening Salinas would roll up that day’s trial proofs and hurry to the Grand Palais.
After the exhibit closed, accompanied by the security personnel, he stood before the painting, unrolled that day’s trial proofs to study and compare with the original painting noting any subtle changes to be made.
After 8 months of meticulous of work on each of the hand colored drawings, Salinas felt the editions were ready to be printed.
The Count of Toulouse Lautrec inspected the final trial proofs. He was enthralled and pronounced an enthusiastic “Bon-A-Tirer” (Good to Print).
Once both these limited editions were printed, the Count, Heir and the Head of the Noble family of Toulouse Lautrec, proudly signed each proof: "Cte de Toulouse Lautrec" (Count of Toulouse Lautrec).
Each numbered proof also bears the embossed logo of the publisher: Editions des Légendes.
As with Picasso’s "Portraits Imaginaires" and the Toulouse Lautrec Museum in Albi, Salinas’ unique talents as a great painter and master lithographer brought these to editions to life.
Count of Toulouse Lautrec Proofs Dedicated to Marcel Salinas
To express his gratitude towards how Salinas captured the beauty and vivacity of Toulouse Lautrec's paintings, the Count dedicated a proof of each edition to him.
At The Moulin Rouge, The Dance
Pour Monsieur Marcel Salinas
en souvenir de la fervente admiration qu’il a toujours temoigné
à Toulouse Lautrec
d’un amitié spontaneé et naissante
Cte* de Toulouse Lautrec
​
​
English Translation:
​
For Mr. Marcel Salinas
in recognition of the fervent admiration he has always shown towards
Toulouse Lautrec
to our new and growing friendship
Cte* de Toulouse Lautrec
* Count of Toulouse Lautrec
​
The Clownesse Cha-U-Kao
pour Monsieur Marcel Salinas
le demi sourire de Cha - U - Kao
en souvenir amical
​
Cte * de Toulouse Lautrec
​
​
English Translation
​
for Mister Marcel Salinas
the half smile of Cha - U - Kao
will remind us of our friendship
​
Cte * de Toulouse Lautrec
* Count of Toulouse Lautrec
Insider Notes
Background:
​
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec (1864 - 1901) was the son of Comte Alphonse Charles Antoine de Toulouse Lautrec-Montfa and Comtesse Adèle Tapié de Céleyran. His parents were first cousins.
Had the artist survived his father, he would have inherited the title and become the Count of Toulouse Lautrec. Upon his father's death in 1913, the title passed to the artist's uncle Odon, the father of Raymond, Count de Toulouse Lautrec (1900 - 2004).
​
When Raymond was born in 1900, his cousin, Henri was enthusiastically pursuing Paris' round the clock banquet of revelries and pleasures.
With his artist's eye and amazing dexterity, Henri captured the vibrant night life in Montmartre's clubs and hideaways. Arising late the next day, he would tuck his sketchpad and pencils under his arm and set off for the excitement of the racecourse.
​
​At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance:
​
The Count, Raymond, recognized the man in the striped pants walking off on the left. He was the artist’s first cousin and boisterous drinking companion: Gabriel Tapié de Céleyran.
​
When he was growing up, the Count recalled “Uncle Gab” regaling him with many stories of how he and cousin Henri, spent wild evenings carousing in the Montmartre nightclubs and entertainment spots with music, drinks, dancing and more.
​​​
The Clownesse Cha-U-Kao:
​
The Clownesse was in her glory She was "Center Stage", a "Star" at the lively, popular nightclub the "Moulin Rouge" .
​
Salinas and the Count thought that in showing the prominence of the old woman in hat walking behind the Clownesse, the artist was giving us a premonition of the elderly Clownesse.
​
Cha-U-Kao was a raucous dance like the Can-Can...a play on the word "chaos".