Portrait of M. X (Portrait de M. X) 1898

Curator: Well, I find "Portrait of M. X" from 1898 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec simply fascinating. It’s an etching and ink print. First impressions? Editor: Spare, almost brutally so. The subject’s expression is hidden from us, and the lack of detail gives an incomplete story. I do like the visible hatched linework across his clothing which animates the surface somewhat. Curator: True, it’s very minimalist, but look closer—there's a certain tension in those stark lines that I find very compelling. There is confidence here, a real assurance with the line that conveys a whole story. Toulouse-Lautrec captures something of the spirit beyond mere likeness, don’t you think? Editor: Perhaps. I am more interested in what he includes and what he omits; the negative space surrounding the figure draws attention to the linearity itself. We get a strong sense of his formal concerns, subordinating any narrative to design. He wants us to think about what marks create presence. Curator: But isn’t it beautiful how those confident marks do delineate the subject? There’s something poignant about the fact that we’ll never know exactly who “M. X” was, yet we feel like we have him in the gallery. Editor: Indeed, we’re left with an ambiguous presence – but through the materiality, through the interplay of line and space, we also see the artist wrestling with representation. Ultimately, I feel that Lautrec emphasizes the formal process, a deliberate unravelling, far more than merely creating an emotive rendering of the man himself. Curator: Maybe that’s why it feels so contemporary! So very alive, even now, all these years later. Thanks for untangling my thoughts; what an encounter. Editor: The pleasure was all mine, the image continues to offer further surprises.