Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864–1901) - La Femme qui se Peigne (Coiffure)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864–1901) - La Femme qui se Peigne (Coiffure)

1896, trial proof, from the Elles series, inscribed at bottom right ‘Still too light, raise the tone, trial proof’; collectors stamp present verso: Claude Roger-Marx, lithograph in brown on Pellet-T. Lautrec watermarked olive-tinted Velín paper
Sheet Size: 20 1/4 x 15 1/8 in. (51.4 x 38.4 cm)
[Wittrock 162; GM 25]

Provenance

Private Collection, Arizona.

Lot Essay

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's La Femme qui se Peigne (Coiffure) exemplifies the artist's characteristic exploration of Parisian nightlife and its denizens. The work depicts a woman, likely a prostitute given the suggestive nature of her attire, arranging her hair in front of a mirror. Lautrec's use of bold lines and flattened forms imbues the scene with a sense of intimacy verging on voyeurism, characteristic of the artist's forays into the underbelly of Parisian society. The woman's diverted gaze and the restricted space of the composition further contribute to the work's exploration of themes of isolation and vulnerability within Lautrec's demi-monde.