Getting Up, from "Elles"

Getting Up, from "Elles" is an exceptional 1896 print by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created during the height of his engagement with the fin-de-siècle artistic documentation of Parisian life. This intimate study employs the complex and tactile medium of crayon, brush and spatter lithograph, a process executed in four colors on wove paper. Lautrec was a virtuoso of graphic arts, utilizing the scraper technique to achieve unique tonal variations and highlight details within the composition, transforming lithography into a powerful narrative tool. His masterful manipulation of the medium cemented his reputation as one of the great printmakers of the era.

This work forms part of the acclaimed "Elles" series, arguably Toulouse-Lautrec’s most historically significant portfolio, focusing on the unromanticized daily lives of women in turn-of-the-century Parisian brothels. The artist captures a moment of raw domesticity: a woman rising from her bed, struggling through the immediate transition of waking. Unlike many contemporaneous artists who sensationalized or moralized such scenes, Toulouse-Lautrec offered an observational empathy, emphasizing the mundane reality rather than scandal. The focus on women in their private, unguarded moments fundamentally shifted the visual language of the era. This powerful piece, renowned for its technical brilliance and historical candor, resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As with many important 19th-century prints, reproductions are often available through public domain resources, allowing broad access to the work of this French master.