Print albums were a popular means for dealers and publishers to promote the work of artists. These portfolios ranged widely in quality and price and offered collectors a preassembled and expertly chosen selection of contemporary art. Published from 1893 to 1895, L'Estampe Originale was among the most popular examples of the genre, in spite of its short lifespan. Toulouse-Lautrec's cover for the inaugural edition shows the expert printer Pere Cotelle presenting cabaret performer Jane Avril with a newly printed artwork. In this depiction of his two close friends, Toulouse-Lautrec intended to suggest the modernity and stylishness of lithography during the 1890s.