The artwork entitled “Mary Hamilton,” created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec circa 1896, is an exemplar of the Art Nouveau movement, specifically categorized under sketch and study. This piece is presently housed within the esteemed collection of the Brooklyn Museum, located in New York City, NY, USA.
The artwork presents itself as a sketch characterized by fluid, expressive lines typical of Toulouse-Lautrec’s style. It depicts a woman poised in a three-quarter stance, her attention seemingly directed toward something or someone outside the frame. Her figure is defined with confident strokes, with particular emphasis on the contours of her attire and the graceful gesture of her hand raised to her face.
The subject appears elegantly attired, wearing a vest and a skirt, with a look that suggests a moment of casual or introspective repose. The sketch is both a study in form and a demonstration of Toulouse-Lautrec’s adeptness at capturing the essences of his subjects with minimal yet deliberate lines. Despite the economy of detail, the artist has successfully conveyed a sense of the subject’s demeanor and presence, which is reflective of the era’s fascination with personality and mood in art. The incomplete and quick nature of the sketch suggests it could have been a preparatory work or an impromptu capture of a fleeting moment.
