Toulouse-Lautrec became fascinated by the nightlife in Paris, particularly sex workers. Through the s, he spent more and more time painting everyday scenes of life in the official brothels, the maisons closes. In , he was commissioned to produce paintings for the salon at a brothel on the rue d'Ambroise [ fr ]. He spent time observing the brothel, its residents and visitors, while they worked and at quieter moments, and made sixteen portraits of the sex workers.
These paintings demonstrate a close and intimate observation and compassion towards the subjects, without any sense of sensationalism or voyeurism. Le Lit was made in oil paints on cardboard, mounted on wood, and measures The painting is one of four paintings of similar date depicting individuals in bed, often interpreted as lesbian couples. It depicts two women in a bed, gazing at each other.
The white sheets of the bed contrast with a red bedspread and with the headboard and wall behind. The disembodied heads of the women face each other, their bodies concealed beneath mountains of bedclothes. The painting is suffused by a warm glow, perhaps the rosy morning light, or a gas lamp. The painting is often interpreted as depicting a lesbian liaison.
The painting was exhibited in Paris at the Le Barc de Boutteville gallery during the third exhibition of the Impressionists and symbolists November 15, to circa February The painting was in the collection of French art collector Roger Marx [ fr ].
After Marx died in December , it was sold the following year to another collector, Antonin Personnaz. After Personnaz died in December , it was donated to the French state in Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item.
