Elles: Woman with a Hand Mirror 1896

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created *Woman with a Hand Mirror* using lithography, a printmaking technique where an image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate and then printed. The lithographic process allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to capture a sense of immediacy. Look at the loose lines and subtle tonal variations, achieved by varying the pressure on the lithographic stone. This was a departure from traditional fine art techniques like oil painting, offering a more direct and spontaneous way of working. The artist embraced this medium to depict everyday life, and the world of Parisian nightlife, including the lives of courtesans. In doing so, Toulouse-Lautrec elevated the status of printmaking, blurring the boundaries between fine art and commercial art. He challenges our assumptions about what constitutes high art, and invites us to appreciate the beauty and skill inherent in the world of printmaking.