Portrait Bust of Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender 1895

Curator: This graphite drawing on paper from 1895 is Toulouse-Lautrec's "Portrait Bust of Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender," housed here at the Met. It has such spontaneity. Editor: Immediately, the sketch-like quality strikes me. It feels like a fleeting moment, a glimpse captured rather than a posed portrait. It seems wistful and unfinished somehow. Curator: Absolutely. Toulouse-Lautrec often frequented the Moulin Rouge, where Mademoiselle Lender was a celebrated performer. What we're seeing here is deeply rooted in the theater and nightlife of fin-de-siècle Paris, spaces of experimentation, and burgeoning celebrity culture. Editor: The focus on her profile underscores that feeling, like a shadow caught backstage. There is so little shading, I feel that this is meant as more of a study of her position and the set and not her person. What are your thoughts about that assessment? Curator: I think it really invites questions about the gaze and power dynamics. Toulouse-Lautrec's work has always been fraught in terms of how it represented marginalized figures, particularly women. Was he celebrating them or exploiting them? I would not agree with your statement about it not capturing her as a person; to the contrary, this portrait seeks to glorify the model herself. Editor: It seems clear that art historians now want to address these very questions. These were questions that were just being looked at when I myself was studying art history in graduate school. The social, cultural, and institutional lenses allow for some great discussion for a modern audience that seeks more information about the figures presented. I like that museums are acknowledging the questions a bit more prominently today. Curator: Indeed. It reflects the institution's commitment to evolving narratives around art and its relationship to broader social issues. By exploring those questions we also open possibilities for future interpretation. Editor: Absolutely, looking through this social and cultural context really allows an interesting point of reflection on how times have changed! Thank you for discussing the art, it's always fascinating. Curator: Thank you, my perspective always shifts in some way when discussing with other points of view!