The Sofa by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

The Sofa

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1894

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“Stop to appreciate this tender and intimate portrayal of two women on a sofa, a rare and poignant glimpse into a private world often unrepresented in art of the late 19th century.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This intimate scene, painted on cardboard, draws us into a private moment between two women on a plush sofa. The soft, diffused light, perhaps from an unseen window, gently illuminates their faces and the rich fabric of the furniture, creating a sense of quiet contemplation. One woman, with dark hair, leans into the other, whose red hair catches the light, suggesting a tender connection. The casual elegance of their surroundings, hinted at by the patterned wall and the deep cushions, places them in a comfortable, perhaps luxurious, setting. The composition, with its close-up perspective, emphasizes their emotional bond, inviting us to consider the nature of their relationship. This work offers a glimpse into lives often overlooked in art of the period, capturing a sense of genuine human interaction.

DETAILS
Artist
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Date
1894
Medium
Oil on cardboard
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
24 3/4 x 31 7/8 in. (62.9 x 81 cm)
Collection
European Paintings
Credit line
Rogers Fund, 1951
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

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

The Sofa

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01

Red-haired woman

Find the upright woman with the piled red hair, her head resting against her raised hand. Her steady, somewhat weary gaze sets the quiet mood of the scene.

1 of 5 on the painting
02

Reclining companion

On the right, a blonde woman lies back in a pink slip, her face turned up toward her companion. Her slack, relaxed pose reads as rest or idleness.

2 of 5 on the painting
03

Loose pink slip

The pink dress is drawn in thin, sketchy strokes with blue-purple outlines. The fast handling suggests soft, crumpled fabric without much detail.

3 of 5 on the painting
04

Dark stockings

The dark stockings at lower left are the heaviest dark in the picture. They anchor a diagonal that runs up through both bodies.

4 of 5 on the painting
05

Streaked sofa

Look at the sofa's yellow-green cushions, worked with quick curved strokes. The marks resemble grass and push the furniture toward abstract pattern.

5 of 5 on the painting
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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
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