La Vache Enragée

1896

22 3/8 x 30 3/4 in
57.0 x 78.2 cm

Brush, crayon and spatter lithograph
Printed in four colors
Artist's monogram, date and dedication à l'ami Simonet upper right corner.
RARE FIRST STATE, BEFORE LETTERS

This poster was created to advertise Willette's magazine, La Vache Enragée, which lasted for only a single year. Wittrock, who rates the rarity of this state as "uncommon," also indicates that "the image in the poster was drawn by Toulouse-Lautrec in imitation of the stye of A. Willette" (p.808). This is one of the few Lautrec posters with movement: the runaway cow is the centerpiece of a remarkable caricature depicting sheer panic in some, curious complaceny in others - an obvious reflection of the world that swirld around the artist.

References: Wittrock P27A, Adriani 175