Woman at the Tub (Femme au tub) is a compelling color lithograph created in 1896 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, working in collaboration with the renowned master printer Auguste Clot. This exquisite example of French graphic arts from the period 1876 to 1900 exemplifies the artist's dedication to capturing unidealized, candid moments of private life in late nineteenth-century Paris. While Lautrec is often celebrated for his vibrant posters documenting cabaret culture, this work instead focuses on a domestic ritual, viewing the subject from an intimate, perhaps voyeuristic, angle.
The print was executed using color lithography on wove paper, a demanding medium that requires meticulous planning and registration to achieve the desired effects. The collaboration between Lautrec and Clot was crucial; Auguste Clot was integral to the technical success, leveraging innovative printing techniques to produce subtle tonal gradations and rich, atmospheric color fields. The artist's distinctive style, characterized by simplified forms, bold outlines, and a strong sense of line derived from Japanese woodblock prints, is evident here. Lautrec utilizes the inherent graininess of the lithographic stone to give texture to the skin and drapery, creating depth without relying on traditional shading.
This piece reflects the widespread interest in modern subject matter during the fin-de-siècle. Lautrec’s refusal to romanticize his subjects, presenting the woman in an everyday setting focused purely on cleaning and bodily labor, aligns him with a broader movement toward objective realism. The work’s creation underscores the rising status of fine art prints in the late 1800s, elevating the medium beyond commercial advertising. As a key example of the period, prints such as this often fall within the public domain, ensuring broad accessibility for scholarship. This technically refined work is held in the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art, serving as an important record of Lautrec’s mastery in printmaking.
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