La Blanchisseuse (Toulouse-Lautrec)

La Blanchisseuse
ArtistHenri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Year1886
TypeOil paint on canvas
Dimensions93 by 75 centimetres (37 in × 30 in)
LocationPrivate collection

La Blanchisseuse (French: [la blɑ̃ʃisøz], The Laundress) is an 1886 oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.[1] In November 2005, it was sold for 22.4 million dollars at auction by Christie's.[2] The subject of laundresses, also known as washerwomen, was a popular one in art, especially in France.[3]

La Blanchisseuse was painted by Toulouse-Lautrec and posed for by Carmen Gaudin in 1886. This painting showcases the gritty life and working conditions endured by the working classes throughout the 19th century. The painting was in storage until 2005, when an anonymous buyer acquired it for 22.4 million dollars, breaking the record for the most expensive Lautrec painting sold at an auction.

References

  1. ^ "Lautrec painting sells for $22.4m". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2 November 2005. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  2. ^ Berwick, Carly (November 2, 2005). "Toulouse-Lautrec Drives Big Night at Christie's". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  3. ^ Malcolmson, Patricia (1986). English laundresses : a social history, 1850-1930. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 6. ISBN 0-252-01293-3. OCLC 12808522.