Country Outing (Partie de campagne) 1897

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this color lithograph, "Country Outing," sometime in the late 1890s. It depicts a well-to-do couple riding in a horse-drawn carriage along a pale road. Toulouse-Lautrec was fascinated by modern life in France, particularly the leisure activities of the upper classes. This print captures a leisurely escape from the city, but the artist's rendering is more suggestive than descriptive, with loose lines and muted colors. This work embodies the fin-de-siècle aesthetic of the late 19th century, but his depictions often subtly critique the social norms of his time, offering insight into the artist's complex relationship with his subjects. Art historians draw on sources such as period publications and social histories to understand the institutional contexts of the artistic production and reception of artworks. This piece invites us to reflect on the artist's personal background, the social conventions of leisure, and the power dynamics inherent in representing a specific social class.