Poupoule in chemise by her bed 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted "Poupoule in chemise by her bed" in the late 19th century, a time when Paris was both a beacon of artistic innovation and a place of stark social inequalities. Toulouse-Lautrec, a member of the aristocracy, found himself drawn to the world of the marginalized, particularly the prostitutes of Montmartre. Here, he offers us a tender portrayal of a woman named Poupoule, a sex worker, in her private space. Rather than depicting her as a sexual object, Toulouse-Lautrec captures a moment of quiet introspection. Poupoule's downcast gaze and the vulnerability of her posture invite empathy. The chemise that barely veils her body becomes a symbol of exposure, both physical and emotional. This painting, however, does not sentimentalize or romanticize Poupoule's life. Instead, it acknowledges the complex realities of women who navigated the social and economic constraints of their time. Through this lens, Toulouse-Lautrec's work urges us to reflect on the social structures that shape individual lives, while emphasizing the quiet dignity of his subject.