Looking in a Mirror, from "Elles" (1896, Met-Objekt 918)
Original title: Looking in a Mirror, from "Elles"
kurzbeschreibung
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this lithograph, "In einen Spiegel schauen," in 1896. It captures a woman examining herself in a hand mirror. Printed in three colors on wove paper, the work belongs to the "Elles" series, which records scenes from the daily lives of women in brothels.
Description
A woman stands in a sparsely furnished room, holding a mirror in her right hand. Behind her, on a low platform, rise a statue and a table with an object resting on it. A chair with yellow upholstery sits to the left, while shoes lie on the floor to the right. Gray dominates the palette, with yellow providing accents, as do the shoes. Light enters from the left, falling on the woman and the mirror.
Context
The "Elles" series was created in 1896 and focuses on the everyday lives of prostitutes in Parisian brothels. It grew out of the artist's extensive studies in these houses; the lithographs were issued in an edition of 100. The work reflects Toulouse-Lautrec's enduring interest in marginalized members of society.
Impact
The uneven layout and the woman's calm demeanor create an intimate, contemplative mood. Because nearly everything is rendered in gray, with only a few colors added, attention settles on the main figure and her mirror.
Technique
Lithography was used for the three-color printing on wove paper, allowing for subtle gradations of tone. The Impressionist style comes through in the precise rendering of textures and in the bright illumination.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)