Woman at the Tub (Femme au tub)

Woman at the Tub (Femme au tub) is a significant color lithograph created in 1896 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, in collaboration with the master printer Auguste Clot and the esteemed publisher Gustave Pellet. This particular impression, rendered on wove paper and designated as a trial proof, offers crucial insight into the detailed and complex production methods characteristic of French printmaking at the turn of the century. The status as a trial proof highlights the demanding process required to achieve the nuanced colors and textures that define Lautrec’s graphic output.

The work falls squarely within the period of 1876 to 1900, capturing the intense scrutiny of modern life that defined the Post-Impressionist era. Lautrec, a prolific chronicler of Parisian nightlife and intimate domestic spaces, eschewed the idealized form, preferring instead to depict candid moments from the lives of ordinary citizens. Here, the female subject is seen in a private act of hygiene, a common theme in the artist's prints. The composition employs broad, energetic lines and a distinctive elevated viewpoint that flattens the space, emphasizing the geometric forms of the tub and the figure.

The technical brilliance of the lithograph owes much to the collaboration with Clot, who helped realize Lautrec’s vision through careful control of the color plates. As a printmaker, Lautrec embraced the medium's capacity for wide dissemination, allowing his unflinching images of French society to reach a broader audience through publications overseen by Pellet. This celebrated piece is an essential example of how artists utilized prints to define the aesthetics of the late 19th century. The lithograph currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, serving as an important reference for the study of graphic art from this pivotal era.