The artwork entitled “The Madame Redoing Her Bun,” created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1893, is a genre painting rendered in oil on board. This piece is emblematic of the Post-Impressionist movement and currently resides within a private collection. It showcases the unique style and thematic interests of the artist during that period.
In the artwork, a woman is captured in a moment of casual intimacy, attending to her hair by redoing her bun. Her form is rendered with loose, expressive brushstrokes typical of Post-Impressionism, which seek to convey emotion and movement beyond the rigid formal constraints of earlier artistic traditions. The palette consists of a range of purples, blues, and earthen tones, creating a sense of depth and texture within the piece. The woman’s gesture is one of unguarded naturalism, as she appears absorbed in the act of grooming, her gaze directed away from the viewer. The background features a mix of floral patterns and indistinct shapes, adding to the personal and private quality of the scene. This painting encapsulates Toulouse-Lautrec’s fascination with the private lives of women and daily acts of beauty regiments, which he highlighted with both empathy and an eye for detail that overshadow the anonymity of the subject.
