''La Blanchisseuse'' (, ''The Laundress'') is an 1886 oil on canvas painting by
French artist
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the ...
.
In November 2005, it was sold for 22.4 million
dollars
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at
auction
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by
Christie's
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.
The subject of laundresses, also known as
washerwomen, was a popular one in art, especially in France.
''La Blanchisseuse'' was painted by Toulouse-Lautrec and posed for by the sex worker 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 his most expensive painting sold at an auction.
Toulouse-Lautrec's life was altered at an early age by disability: he fractured his right femur at the age of 13, and his left at the age of 14. This made him unable to participate in the usual activities of men his age, so he took up an interest in art and illustrations. His legs never grew properly after that, producing a adult.
Despite his disability and a career lasting only 20 years, he created 737 canvassed paintings, 275 watercolors, 363 prints and posters for the Moulin Rouge and a number of carnivals, 5,084 drawings, and an unknown number of lost works throughout his career. He died at the age of 36. In spite of his early death, he made a name for himself among the
Post-Impressionist artists.
The subject of the painting, Carmen Gaudin, was a dignified, humble sex worker who caught Lautrec's eye one day after class. He wrote to his mother about how he met a girl with golden hair. Instantly, he became interested in her and she quickly became one of his favorite models. Carmen helped him with his art studies as he was unsure of his capabilities at the time since he was only 23 years old. After Carmen posed for ''La Blanchisseuse'', it became popular amongst his friends and his mentor,
Fernand Cormon
Fernand Cormon (24 December 1845 – 20 March 1924) was a French painter born in Paris. He became a pupil of Alexandre Cabanel, Eugène Fromentin, and Jean-François Portaels, and one of the leading historical painters of modern France.
Biogra ...
. The painting remained relatively private until years after his death when his artworks were displayed.
This piece shows the longing of the subject for something more, as many laundresses were sex workers at night for extra money. ''La Blanchisseuse'' depicts how hard life was for working-class women. Despite its lack of immediate fame, the artwork has gathered interest from many artists as well as historians for its artistic and historical value.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanchisseuse
1886 paintings
Paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec