Émilie

ABOUT THIS WORK

This intimate portrait, titled "Émilie," draws us into a private moment, capturing a woman seated with a quiet intensity. Her figure, rendered with a directness characteristic of the late 19th century, fills the small wooden panel. The artist's brushwork, visible and energetic, builds her form and hints at the textures of her clothing and surroundings. Notice how the light, seemingly from an unseen source to her left, illuminates her face and the front of her dress, creating soft shadows that give depth to her features. The simplicity of the composition, focusing solely on Émilie, allows for a concentrated study of her expression and posture. This painting reflects a move towards capturing individual personalities and the nuances of everyday life, a departure from more formal, academic portraiture of earlier eras.

DETAILS

Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Date: 1897
Medium: Oil on wood
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions: 16 1/4 x 12 3/4 in. (41.3 x 32.4 cm)
Collection: European Paintings
Credit line: The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973

ART MOVEMENTS

Post-Impressionism

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

← → step through · Esc to close

5 details are marked · pick a number

01

Feathered black hat

Look at the dark hat with its white and orange plume. It is the sharpest, darkest accent up top, and it frames her face in profile.

1 of 5 on the painting

02

Red hair in strokes

Her orange-red hair is laid in a few quick, loose strokes beneath the hat, set against her pale skin. The thin, fast handling gives the figure an off-hand, spontaneous feel.

2 of 5 on the painting

03

Yellow jacket and hands

Her mustard-yellow jacket is built from soft, overlapping strokes with thin brown outlines. A few small yellow dabs near her waist may suggest her hands held together.

3 of 5 on the painting

04

Dark blue skirt

The skirt is the heaviest mass in the picture, scrubbed on in streaky navy strokes. Its edges fade into the pale ground, so the figure looks unfinished at the bottom.

4 of 5 on the painting

05

The distant rider

Far behind her, a small rider on a pinkish-purple horse walks across the path. He gives the empty park depth and a sense of scale.

5 of 5 on the painting

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

Stand in front of it and listen

The full narration walks you through Émilie — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.

Get the free app

0:00Preview · 0:30Free preview · 0:30 Hear the full story in the app

THE ARTIST

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

1864–1901 · France

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the aristocratic artist of fin-de-siècle Paris, immortalized the vibrant, often scandalous, life of Montmartre's cabarets and brothels.

Read de Toulouse-Lautrec’s full story