Henri de TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
France 1864 – 1901
55.1 (h) x 46.0 (w) cm
Reference: Dortu P.677 The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London
In the intimate setting of a private dining room at the restaurant, the Rat Mort (Dead Rat), Lautrec depicts the ageing coquette Lucy Jourdan. Smothered in thick make-up and with lips painted ruby red, Jourdan appears like some overripe fruit. Lautrec’s use of a rich palette and loose brushwork suggests the decadent nature of the subject: Jourdan was a high-class prostitute and is accompanied here by her lover, the Baron de W. Lautrec’s presence in the scene is suggested by the placement of a glass on the table opposite Jourdan.
In the intimate setting of a private dining room at the restaurant, the Rat Mort (Dead Rat), Lautrec depicts the ageing coquette Lucy Jourdan. Smothered in thick make-up and with lips painted ruby red, Jourdan appears like some overripe fruit. Lautrec’s use of a rich palette and loose brushwork suggests the decadent nature of the subject: Jourdan was a high-class prostitute and is accompanied here by her lover, the Baron de W. Lautrec’s presence in the scene is suggested by the placement of a glass on the table opposite Jourdan.
In the intimate setting of a private dining room at the restaurant, the Rat Mort (Dead Rat), Lautrec depicts the ageing coquette Lucy Jourdan. Smothered in thick make-up and with lips painted ruby red, Jourdan appears like some overripe fruit. Lautrec’s use of a rich palette and loose brushwork suggests the decadent nature of the subject: Jourdan was a high-class prostitute and is accompanied here by her lover, the Baron de W. Lautrec’s presence in the scene is suggested by the placement of a glass on the table opposite Jourdan.