Woman at the Tub - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

A refined colour lithograph from the 1896 Elles portfolio, capturing a quiet, intimate moment of a woman at her morning wash.

Woman at the Tub is a plate from the 1896 portfolio Elles, a series of ten colour lithographs by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The artist spent significant time observing the daily routines of women in Parisian brothels, seeking to document their lives without the moralising tone common in the period. This work captures a quiet, domestic moment, far removed from the public spectacle of the cabaret. The composition employs a high viewpoint, flattening the space and focusing attention on the figure's posture. The woman is bent over a basin, her form defined by a dark, sweeping silhouette that contrasts with the muted, textured background. Toulouse-Lautrec utilised the technique of spatter lithography, or crachis, to create soft, atmospheric gradients on the walls and floor. The colour palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones, soft ochres, and a distinct terracotta red for the floor covering. Unlike the caricatured figures often found in his posters, this print presents the subject with a degree of intimacy and psychological distance. The lack of overt narrative allows the viewer to focus on the formal qualities of the print, such as the interplay between the organic curves of the woman's back and the geometric lines of the room. The work reflects the artist's interest in Japanese woodblock prints, particularly in the use of bold outlines and the deliberate cropping of the scene. This print remains a primary example of late nineteenth-century printmaking, demonstrating the technical capabilities of the lithographic medium to convey texture and mood through layered colour application.