The artwork entitled “Prostitutes Around a Dinner Table” was created by the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec roughly between 1893 and 1894. This genre painting, which falls under the Art Movement categories of Art Nouveau (Modern) and Post-Impressionism, was rendered using oil on canvas. The dimensions of this particular piece measure approximately 60.3 by 80 centimeters.
The artwork exhibits Toulouse-Lautrec’s quintessential use of vivid colors and loose brushwork that typify the Post-Impressionist style. The scene captures a candid moment among a group of women, which is believed to depict prostitutes in candid repose around a meal. Characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work, the subject matter offers a glimpse into the bohemian and sometimes marginalized lifestyles of late 19th-century Paris. The composition is informal and intimate, allowing the viewer to sense the atmosphere and convey the personalities of the figures without idealization. The use of contrasting colors, bold outlines, and the subjects’ expressions and postures contribute to a narrative that is both realistic and evocative of the era’s social milieu.
