Combing Hair, from "Elles" (1896, Met-Objekt 919)
Original title: Combing Hair, from "Elles"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary nude studies, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's 'Combing the Hair' from 1896 does not present a posing woman but an everyday action: seen from behind, she leans over a table and runs her hands through her hair. The motif was executed as a two-color lithograph on wove paper.
Description
The woman is viewed from the back, with her shoulder and part of her back remaining visible. Bent forward, she stands at a table on which a plate and perhaps a cup can be made out. Her hair falls in waves and is rendered with great precision. Brown and gray tones dominate the restrained palette, while the background remains merely suggested and blurred.
Context
This sheet belongs to 'Elles', a ten-part lithographic series that Toulouse-Lautrec made in 1896, portraying the lives of women in brothels. The series was published in an edition of 100. Such insights into intimate daily life were unusual for the time; the pictorial structure reflects the influence of Japanese woodblock prints.
Impact
A quiet, contemplative mood arises from the subdued colors and the spare layout. Because everything is focused on the woman's activity, the image feels intimate and almost private.
Technique
The sheet was printed as a two-color lithograph on woven paper. The precisely placed, thin lines reveal a careful execution characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's printmaking.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)