The artwork “At the Rat Mort” is a genre painting by the esteemed Post-Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created in 1899. This oil on canvas piece is part of the collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, United Kingdom, where it remains an exemplar of the vibrant nightlife subjects that Toulouse-Lautrec often portrayed in his works.
The artwork captures a scene at the Rat Mort, a popular nightspot in Paris during the late 19th century. The painting is striking for its candid depiction of the social interactions of the era, with a central figure that engages the viewer with a direct, if somewhat hazy, gaze, suggesting the possibly inebriated state of the individuals depicted. The colors are rich and moody, with an emphasis on greens, yellows, and reds that suggest the artificial lighting of the establishment. The brushwork is loose and expressive, a trademark of Post-Impressionist techniques, which aimed to convey emotion and movement more so than precise realism. The composition employs an intriguing play of light and shadow, which contributes to the intimate yet public nature of the scene. Overall, the artwork offers a window into the bohemian life of Paris at the turn of the century, as seen through the eyes of one of its most iconic chroniclers.
