Serving Breakfast (Madame Baron and Mademoiselle Popo), from "Elles"

Serving Breakfast (Madame Baron and Mademoiselle Popo), from "Elles," is a significant lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1896. This celebrated print was executed using red chalk on wove paper, a technique that gives the image a warm, delicate quality often associated with preparatory sketches or intimate drawings. The work is one of eleven subjects comprising Toulouse-Lautrec's seminal portfolio, Elles, which provided an observational and often sympathetic portrayal of women working in the maisons closes (brothels) of fin-de-siècle Paris.

Unlike contemporary artists who frequently sensationalized or morally judged these subjects, Toulouse-Lautrec’s work focused on moments of quiet domesticity and mundane reality within the restricted confines of the women's living quarters. The scene is set in one of the private bedrooms, capturing an unposed exchange between the madame (Madame Baron) and one of the women (Mademoiselle Popo). The composition emphasizes the routine of daily life, depicting one woman serving a meal or drink to the other, capturing a fleeting, unguarded moment of camaraderie. This focus on candid observation distinguishes the Elles series and provides a rare, non-judgmental look into the private routines of these marginalized women.

As a lithographic print, this piece exemplifies Toulouse-Lautrec's mastery of the medium, achieving a textural depth and subtlety comparable to original drawing. The entire series challenges conventional portraiture by focusing on natural, unposed interactions. This lithograph resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of its cultural significance, high-quality images and prints of this lithograph are often available for educational purposes through public domain resources.