Looking in a Mirror, from "Elles"

Looking in a Mirror, from "Elles" is a pivotal lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This print, executed expertly in three colors on wove paper, belongs to the artist's seminal portfolio, Elles, a collection that provided an intimate, unprecedented look at the daily lives of women working in Parisian brothels during the fin de siècle. Unlike contemporaries who often idealized or moralized the subjects of prostitution, Toulouse-Lautrec employed a strikingly detached, objective viewpoint, positioning himself as a meticulous observer of routine, domestic moments.

The composition centers on a woman absorbed in her reflection, the mirror serving not only as a compositional device but also highlighting the self-contained, often solitary existence depicted throughout the series. The subject’s introspection, as she faces the mirror, brings the viewer into a highly personal space, a hallmark of Toulouse-Lautrec’s dedication to psychological realism in his portrayals of women. His sophisticated understanding of color printing is evident in the subtle tones and soft texture achieved through the lithographic process. This work exemplifies the post-Impressionist approach to graphic arts, prioritizing expressive line and flat planes of color, influencing subsequent generations of printmakers.

The series is widely considered a high point of Toulouse-Lautrec’s printmaking career, affirming his status as a master graphic artist whose work provides crucial insight into late 19th-century Parisian society. This significant print, Looking in a Mirror, from "Elles", is preserved in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains a frequently studied example of major European prints and graphic arts.