Émilie

Émilie is a notable painting created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec between 1897 and 1899. This distinctive piece utilizes oil paint applied directly onto wood, a choice of medium that allows Toulouse-Lautrec to emphasize the immediacy of his brushstrokes and exploit the surface texture, diverging somewhat from his famous works on canvas or his prolific output of lithographic prints.

Executed during the final phase of the artist's career, the work captures a dynamic moment focused on equestrian themes, a popular subject reflecting the leisure activities of Parisian high society at the close of the 19th century. The composition seamlessly integrates the figures of women and men against a background suggesting a riding track or park. Toulouse-Lautrec’s keen observation skills are evident in his portrayal of the human subjects, providing insight into their societal roles and interactions, while the energetic rendering of the horses suggests movement and vitality.

The painting demonstrates Toulouse-Lautrec’s enduring fascination with capturing candid, unposed moments, a quality highly prized in the fin-de-siècle artistic environment. His technique, characterized by rapid delineation and expressive color, translates effectively onto the wood support. This piece provides a valuable complement to the artist’s better-known depictions of cabarets and performers, illustrating the breadth of his visual chronicle of Paris. Today, this significant work resides within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As with many works of this era, high-resolution imagery of Émilie is often widely accessible in the public domain, making high-quality fine art prints readily available for study and appreciation.