The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

In addition to the catalogue description, the sheet trimmed, this work has been conserved, fold lines visible in places in the image with associated losses and filled in areas, repaired tears and losses to the sheet with associated filled in areas, a Republique Française/Seine tax stamp in black ink at the right image edge, laid to paper mounted to mat board, with other lesser defects, framed

Please note that this lot is framed.

Antony Griffith explains in Toulouse-Lautrec: The Complete Prints, “…it is important to remember that the large commercial posters belong to a quite different tradition of lithography than the limited edition single-sheet print. They were printed on cheap paper in editions of several thousand, and were intended only for a short life. Ideas of purism or integrity did not come into question in their production.”

Unlike the archival quality paper used by modern printmakers, the flimsy paper used by Lautrec and others of the time was closer in nature to that of newsprint, and as such tends to darken over time. It is also prone to cracking and splitting, particularly after having been removed from walls and outdoor advertising spaces (such was Lautrec’s fame that supposedly young boys followed the workmen sticking up posters around Paris, pulling the posters off the walls before the glue was dry, to sell later).

This historical context is important to bear in mind when evaluating the condition of Lautrec’s posters as they have come down to us today. Repaired cracks, splits and other defects are to be expected, as is the standard practice of laying them on linen – essential to preserving the integrity of such large sheets of paper.

In order to post advertisements in Belle Époque Paris, a fee had to be paid to the government. Various tax stamps were used to denote that this necessary step had been completed and that the poster was able to be displayed in the streets. However, these stamps do not necessarily indicate that the poster was displayed outdoors. It is possible that a large run of the posters was stamped once the tax office approved the advertisements.