Carmen Gaudin 1885

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this oil painting, Carmen Gaudin, using the traditional methods of the academy. But look closely, and you’ll notice that the artist has manipulated his materials in a distinctive way. See the way he’s thinned the oil paint so that it barely covers the support, a technique known as “au premier coup”. The painting appears unfinished, almost like a sketch. But in its day, this fresh approach was seen as radically modern. Lautrec was part of a generation who challenged conventional expectations of labor, politics, and consumption. Instead of creating an illusionistic window onto the world, he wanted to reveal the means by which art is made. By showing us the traces of his own hand, Lautrec reminds us that art is not just about the final image, but about the whole process of making. And that's an idea that continues to resonate with artists today.