One hundred paintings · Paris without posing
The 100 known paintings who tell Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
From the Moulin-Rouge to the silent boxes, Toulouse-Lautrec paints Paris at table height: electric lights, rapid gestures and characters who did not wait for the painter to start their evening.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) made Montmartre his observatory: dancers, singers, aristocrats, squires and brothel regulars enter his painting without losing their singularity. Behind the fame of the posters is a painter of formidable acuity.
Each painting opens a specific scene: an encounter, a repetition, an expectation or a face surprised by artificial light. Lautrec almost never judges; he looks quickly, fairly, and long enough for the Parisian night to cease to be a setting.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Moulin-Rouge
Under the artificial light, faces stand out like masks and the perspective of the counter leads the eye towards La Goulue and Jane Avril. The greenish hue of May Milton's face gives the nightlife an almost electric strangeness.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Salon on rue des Moulins
The women wait on the red benches without playing a role for the visitor. The frieze of bodies, the silences and the suspended gazes make the interior a picture of duration, far from the easy picturesque.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Dance at the Moulin Rouge
Painted around 1895, "La Danse au Moulin-Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "La Danse au Moulin-Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Marcelle Lender dancing the bolero in Chilpéric
Marcelle Lender stands out in the center of a stage saturated with costumes, the red bodice responding to the accessories and the faces of the audience. Lautrec condenses the movement of the bolero into a sovereign presence.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Cha-U-Kao clown
Cha-U-Kao sits in the frame with his baggy pants, yellow collar and unprepared expression. The fame of the music hall is shown in a pause, with a frankness that escapes worldly pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Aristide Bruant
Painted 1893, "Aristide Bruant" becomes a social portrait. "Aristide Bruant" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
In bed, kiss him
Two women kiss in the tight space of the bed, without anecdote or outside gaze. The whites of the linen and the reds of the hair form a warm material where intimacy is worth more than the description of the place.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The toilet
Seen from behind, a woman leans over her toilet in a room reduced to a few matte planes. The plunging framing and the reserves of the support give the daily gesture a silent monumentality.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Alone
The body is lying across the bed, heavy with fatigue, in a room whose reds and greens collide. The short title concentrates all the post-party solitude.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Mie
In the popular restaurant on Avenue de Clichy, the narrow table brutally brings Maurice Guibert and the red-haired woman in front of him closer together. The bottles, plates and flowered curtain make up a closed session where the exchange of glances remains deliberately ambiguous.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Private Room
Painted 1899, "Le Salon Privé" becomes a moment of spectacle. "The Private Room" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman with black boa
Painted around 1895, "Woman with a Black Boa" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman with a Black Boa" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Moulin Rouge: The start of the quadrille
Painted around 1895, "Au Moulin Rouge: The departure of the quadrille" becomes a moment of spectacle. "At the Moulin Rouge: The departure of the quadrille" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Fernando circus, the squire
The rider balances on the horse thrown around the track, under the whip of the riding master. The curves of the arena and animal movement absorb the figures in a circular rhythm.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Jane Avril dancing
Painted around 1895, "Jane Avril Dancing" became a social portrait. "Jane Avril Dancing" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Bar
Three figures gather around a counter in a dull light, while bottles and glasses chant the depth. Lautrec does not describe coffee as a picturesque setting: he remembers the distances between bodies, silences and the wear and tear of a late evening.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
A corner of the Moulin de la Galette
Lautrec observes a corner of the Moulin de la Galette without looking for the brilliance of a festive evening. The seated figures, the standing silhouettes and the tables are arranged in a dense space where the life of the ball is as much about waiting as it is about movement.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Rider at the Fernando circus
Painted 1887, "Cavalière au cirque Fernando" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Cavalière at the Fernando circus" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Behind the scenes of the circus
Painted 1887, "Behind the scenes of the circus" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Behind the scenes of the circus" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Hangover
Suzanne Valadon remains alone in front of a bottle and a glass, her chin supported by her hand. The clear light of the café contrasts with its interior withdrawal and transforms an ordinary scene into a portrait of fatigue, without caricature or moral lesson.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Ballet scene
Painted 1886, "Ballet Scene" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Ballet Scene" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Moorish Dance
Painted around 1895, "La Danse mauresque" becomes a moment of spectacle. "La Danse mauresque" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Miss Loie Fuller
Painted 1893, "Mademoiselle Loïe Fuller" becomes a social portrait. "Mademoiselle Loïe Fuller" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Two women dancing at the Moulin-Rouge
Painted 1892, "Two Women Dancing at the Moulin-Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Two women dancing at the Moulin-Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Jane Avril arriving at the Moulin Rouge
Painted 1892, "Jane Avril arriving at the Moulin Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Jane Avril arriving at the Moulin Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Madame Marthe X―Bordeaux
Madame Marthe is captured in profile, her head tilted towards her work or her reading, in a dark light which focuses attention on the face and hands. The tight framing gives this silent presence an unprepared gravity.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Jane Avril leaving the Moulin Rouge
Painted 1892, "Jane Avril leaving the Moulin-Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Jane Avril leaving the Moulin-Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
La Goulue en Almée
La Goulue poses here in almée, an oriental costume that she adopted after leaving the Moulin-Rouge to perform at the funfairs. Painted in 1895 on a panel left largely visible, this nervous portrait captures less of a star triumphant as an artist reinventing her character.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
La Goulue entering the Moulin-Rouge
Painted around 1895, "La Goulue entering the Moulin-Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "La Goulue entering the Moulin-Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
English at the Moulin Rouge
Painted 1892, "The Englishman at the Moulin-Rouge" becomes a moment of spectacle. "The Englishman at the Moulin-Rouge" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Masked Ball at the Elysée Montmartre
Painted 1887, "Le Bal Masqué à l’Elysée Montmartre" becomes a moment of spectacle. "The Masked Ball at the Elysée Montmartre" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The medical visit
Two women lift their shirts during the health inspection, shown from behind in a light without seduction. Lautrec observes the procedure, the wait and the vulnerability with an almost documentary sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman does her hair. The one who combs her hair
Painted around 1895, "Woman combes her hair. The one who combs her hair" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman does her hair. The one who combs her hair" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman pulling her stockings
Painted around 1895, "Woman pulling her stockings" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman pulling her stockings" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The bed
Painted 1892, "The Bed" becomes a scene of intimacy. "The Bed" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The two friends
Painted 1894, "Les Deux Amies" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Les Deux Amies" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Sofa
Painted 1894, "Le Sofa" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Le Sofa" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
These Ladies in the refectory
Painted 1894, "These Ladies in the Refectory" becomes a scene of intimacy. "These Ladies in the Refectory" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Two half-naked women from behind. House on rue des Moulins
Painted 1894, "Two half-naked women from behind. House on rue des Moulins" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Two half-naked women from behind. House on rue des Moulins" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Two women making their beds
Painted 1891, "Two Women Making Their Bed" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Two women making their beds" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman in front of a mirror
Painted 1897, "Woman in Front of a Mirror" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman in front of a mirror" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman smoking a cigarette
Painted 1890, "Woman Smoking a Cigarette" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman smoking a cigarette" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman sitting in bed
Painted 1897, "Woman Sitting in Bed" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman Sitting in Bed" frames proximity without fabricated pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman rolling up her shirt
Painted 1901, "Woman Rolling Up Her Shirt" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman rolling up her shirt" frames proximity without fabricated pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Naked woman lying on a couch
Painted 1897, "Naked Woman Lying on a Couch" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Naked woman lying on a couch" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Naked redhead woman squatting
Painted 1897, "Naked Redhead Woman Squatting" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Naked redhead woman squatting" frames proximity without fabricated pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman pulling her stockings
Painted 1894, "Woman pulling her stockings" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman pulling her stockings" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman curling
Painted 1875, "Woman Curling" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman curling" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman seated
Painted 1897, "Sitting Woman" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Sitting woman" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman in profile
Painted around 1895, "Woman in Profile" becomes a scene of intimacy. "Woman in Profile" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Woman with Gloves
Painted around 1895, "The Woman with Gloves" becomes a scene of intimacy. "The Woman with Gloves" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The stony or Golden Helmet
Painted 1890, "The Stony or Golden Helmet" becomes a social portrait. "The stony or Golden Helmet" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Big Maria, Venus of Montmartre
Painted 1884, "La gros Maria, Vénus de Montmartre" becomes a social portrait. "La gros Maria, Vénus de Montmartre" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
"In Montrouge" - Rosa La Rouge
Painted 1886, "À Montrouge" - Rosa La Rouge" becomes a social portrait. ""In Montrouge" - Rosa La Rouge" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Laundress
Painted 1880, "La Blanchisseuse" becomes a scene of intimacy. "La Blanchisseuse" frames proximity without manufactured pose.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Self-portrait in front of a mirror
The young painter represents himself in front of the mirror, his gaze direct but his body kept at a distance. The dark range, the bare wall and the frankness of the face refuse any aristocratic idealization.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Carmen Gaudin
Carmen Gaudin's red hair becomes the focus of the portrait, opposed to a pale and closed face. Lautrec makes this model encountered in the street a modern presence, without erasing his reserve.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Carmen Gaudin in the artist's studio
Painted 1888, "Carmen Gaudin in the artist's studio" becomes a social portrait. "Carmen Gaudin in the artist's studio" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Carmen
Painted 1884, "Carmen" becomes a social portrait. "Carmen" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Bastille (Jeanne Wenz)
Painted around 1895, "À la Bastille (Jeanne Wenz)" became a gesture of modern life. "At the Bastille (Jeanne Wenz)" frames the gesture without simplifying it.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Alfred la Guigne
Painted around 1895, "Alfred la Guigne" became a social portrait. "Alfred la Guigne" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Albert (René) Grenier (1858-1925)
Painted 1887, "Albert (René) Grenier (1858-1925)" becomes a social portrait. "Albert (René) Grenier (1858-1925)" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Jane Avril, portrait
Painted 1891, "Jane Avril, portrait" becomes a social portrait. "Jane Avril, portrait" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Miss Dihau on the piano
Painted 1890, "Mademoiselle Dihau on the piano" becomes a social portrait. "Mademoiselle Dihau on the piano" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Madame Misia Natanson on piano
Painted 1897, "Madame Misia Natanson on the piano" becomes a social portrait. "Madame Misia Natanson on the piano" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Madame Thadée Natanson (Misia Godebska, 1872-1950) at the Theater
Painted 1895, "Madame Thadée Natanson (Misia Godebska, 1872-1950) at the Theater" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Madame Thadée Natanson (Misia Godebska, 1872-1950) at the Theater" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Portrait of Suzanne Valadon
Suzanne Valadon appears as an artist and an interlocutor, not as a simple feminine type of Montmartre. The sober construction of the bust leaves all their authority to the gaze and the inclination of the head.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Maurice Joyant
Painted around 1895, "Maurice Joyant" became a social portrait. "Maurice Joyant" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Paul Leclercq
Painted around 1895, "Paul Leclercq" became a social portrait. "Paul Leclercq" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Louis Bouglé
Painted around 1895, "Louis Bouglé" became a social portrait. "Louis Bouglé" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Portrait of Mr. Paul Sescau (Portrait of Mr. Paul Sescau)
In "Portrait of Mr. Paul Sescau (Portrait of Mr.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Portrait of Émile Bernard
Painted 1885, "Portrait of Émile Bernard" becomes a social portrait. "Portrait of Émile Bernard" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Countess Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec in the living room of the Château de Malromé
Painted 1883, "Countess Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec in the living room of the Château de Malromé" becomes a social portrait. "Countess Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec in the living room of the Château de Malromé" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Count of Toulouse-Lautrec on horseback
Painted 1883, "The Count of Toulouse-Lautrec on horseback" becomes a social portrait. "The Count of Toulouse-Lautrec on horseback" frames the face as the main action.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Jockeys
Horses and their riders are launched diagonally which cuts the terrain, the silhouettes being abbreviated to preserve speed. The worldly subject becomes a study of movement and muscular tension.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Amazon
Painted 1899, "Amazone" becomes a suspended movement. "Amazon" frames the animal trajectory clearly.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The White Horse "Gazelle"
Painted 1881, "Le Cheval Blanc "Gazelle"" becomes a suspended movement. "Le Cheval Blanc "Gazelle"" frames the animal trajectory clearly.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Crewmaster
Painted 1882, "The Boatswain" becomes a suspended movement. "The Boatswain" frames the animal trajectory clearly.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Nice, memory of the Promenade des Anglais
The Nice promenade is captured like a parade of silhouettes, cars and elegance seen in passing. The open space reveals a Lautrec attentive to the social climate of the street as much as to cabarets.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Fishing boat
Painted 1880, "Fishing Barque" becomes a moment of spectacle. "Fishing boat" frames the collective rhythm with sobriety.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Madame la Comtesse Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec at the Jardin de Malromé
The young Toulouse-Lautrec represents his mother, Adèle Zoè Tapié de Céleyran, in the family garden of Malromé. Its almost medal-winning profile and the angles of the bench stabilize a composition nevertheless animated by the vibrant whites of the dress and flowers. The museum emphasizes that this light still owes a lot to impressionism, while the geometric construction already announces Lautrec's attention to silhouettes.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Young Routy in Céleyran
Painted in Céleyran while Lautrec was still a teenager, this portrait shows young Routy in the rural world of family property. The direct pose, the work clothing and the still traditional modeling reveal a phase learning attentive to realism. The work matters because it precedes Montmartre: it shows that its interest in individuals, their appearance and their social environment was formed very early.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Bouquet of violets in a vase
This little still life belongs to the formative years of Lautrec. The tight violets, the dark vase and the undescriptive background focus attention on the accords of purple, green and brown. Far from the cabarets that will do this reputation, the painting reveals his patient study of pictorial material and his ability to give visual weight to a modest motif, without anecdote.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
In the workshop, the installation of the model (after L'Atelier by Alfred Stevens)
Lautrec here takes up a composition by Alfred Stevens devoted to the posing session. The subject allows him to observe the relationships between model, painter, accessories and studio space, but also to measure his language by that of an artist recognized. Copying is therefore not a simple exercise: it documents his Parisian training and his growing interest behind the scenes of the performance show.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Frederick Wenz
Frédéric Wenz had studied with Lautrec in Fernand Cormon's workshop. The portrait favors the physical presence of the comrade rather than worldly signs: close bust, restrained expression and minimally invasive background. This economy highlights the personal relationship between painter and model. It also shows how Lautrec knew how to individualize those close to him without transforming them into picturesque types of Parisian bohemia.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Portrait of Jeanne Wenz
Jeanne Wenz, companion of Frédéric Wenz and friend of Suzanne Valadon, appears in profile in a pose whose echo the Art Institute highlights to Renaissance portraits. Lautrec is only twenty-two years old, but he is already simplifying the decor for give all its strength to the contour of the face and the contrast of the hair. The painting thus unites scholarly reference and intimate observation of a circle of artists.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Portrait of François Gauzi
François Gauzi, a painter from Toulouse and Lautrec's classmate at Cormon, was also one of his first biographers. His portrait seeks neither heroic pose nor spectacular setting: the face, the look and the dark outfit are enough define a presence. This restraint gives the painting the value of a testimony to the workshop friendships that surround Lautrec before his full public recognition.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Redhead in the white blouse
The red hair and the white blouse structure this portrait without the need for a narrative setting. The model, seen from behind and in profile, remains absorbed in its own presence rather than offered to the viewer. The tight framing transforms a seemingly simple study into research on silhouette, color and psychological distance, three elements that will become essential in Lautrec's Montmartre scenes.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The e-reader
The reader is seized in silent concentration, far from the tumult of the dance halls. Lautrec uses essence, a highly diluted paint that lets the support breathe and accelerates execution. The open areas and the soft outline does not signal unfinished work: they focus the eye on attitude. The work thus reveals his talent for transforming a daily gesture into a psychological portrait.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Mr. Fourcade
The banker Henri Fourcade occupies the foreground, while Gabriel Tapié de Céleyran, cousin of Lautrec, appears further away with his top hat. The MASP insists on this tension calculated between distance and scale: Fourcade seems almost out of the picture. The framing, surprisingly modern, gives a strong presence to the model while retaining the social animation of the place that surrounds it.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Sitting dancer with pink stockings
The dancer is not shown in performance but seated, in a time of rest where her costume alone retains the brilliance of the stage. Pink stockings become a chromatic accent that guides the gaze towards the legs and tired posture. Lautrec is interested precisely in this side of the spectacle: the professional body, between public performance and private relaxation, observed without sentimental idealization.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Lady with a dog
The woman and her little dog form a double portrait where the elegance of the clothing counts as much as the expression of the face. Lautrec simplifies the space and reserves its most precise accents for the silhouette, hands and animal. THE tableau belongs to his research on Parisian society: he observes the codes of appearance with acuity, but without reducing the model to a caricature.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Justine Dieulh
Also known under the title "Woman in a Garden", this portrait places Justine Dieulh in front of vegetation treated with free touches. The cardboard remains perceptible under the paint, giving the whole thing a luminous speed. Its origin, passed through the Matsukata collection before its entry into French collections in 1959, also recalls the early international circulation of the work of Toulouse-Lautrec.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
In Grenelle, absinthe drinker
A single woman, sitting in front of her glass, embodies less a moral narrative than a state of urban isolation. Lautrec avoids the spectacular anecdote: the table, the retracted posture and the absent gaze are enough to make the duration perceptible. The subject absinthe belonged to the modern imagination of Paris, but the painter here gives it a seriousness of observation, attentive to the person rather than to the scandal.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Louis Pascal
Louis Pascal was a childhood friend of Lautrec, met at the Fontanes high school. The 1893 portrait associates this ancient familiarity with a very controlled construction of the silhouette and clothing. Nothing distracts from the model's attitude : the painter restores a character rather than a status. The work thus belongs to the intimate side of his production, often eclipsed by the images of Montmartre.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
May Belfort
Irish singer May Belfort performed dressed like a little girl, often holding a black cat. In this painting, Lautrec captures the stage identity constructed by costume, gesture and color contrast, without simply reproduce your famous poster. The painting helps to understand how he went from painted observation to advertising image while retaining the immediately recognizable singularity of the performer.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The Modist
The model is Louise Blouet d'Enguin, identified as a milliner. Lautrec does not describe his profession by an accumulation of accessories: he first builds a presence, thanks to the face, the hairstyle and the sobriety of the background. Dated 1900, the work belongs to the painter's later years and shows that his portraiture remains precise, attentive and unemphasized despite his declining health.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Emilie
The Metropolitan Museum places Émilie in a group of scenes inspired by the world of racing. Lautrec creates a witty parallel between the swirling silhouette of the woman in the foreground and the horse mounted behind her. The inscription dedicates the painting to Émilie, whose identity remains unknown. This visual connection condenses the animation of the racecourse into a brief and memorable image.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The City Sergeant's Daughter
The title, borrowed from the popular vocabulary of the time, designates a young woman that Lautrec represents without worldly decor. The close framing and rapid processing of the cardboard give the face an immediate, almost immediate presence conversational. This painting belongs to the years when the artist forged his view of modern Paris: an attentive look at social identities, but above all at the irreducible appearance of each model.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Woman with an umbrella, known as Berthe the Deaf, sitting in Mr. Forest's garden
Berthe la Sourde poses in the garden of Father Forest, Lautrec's neighbor in Montmartre. The umbrella, the profile and the masses of foliage organize an outdoor study where the model remains clearly individualized. These sessions, that Lautrec humorously called his "impositions", allowed him to experience natural light without entirely adopting the impressionist landscape: the figure remains the true center of the painting.
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