In Bed 1892

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this painting, titled "In Bed," using oil paint on cardboard. Rather than canvas, which was the more traditional support for painting, he chose cardboard, an inexpensive material that readily absorbs the oil, resulting in a flat, matte surface. Lautrec applied the paint in short, loose strokes, almost like sketching, capturing a fleeting moment of intimacy between two women. He was interested in the everyday lives of ordinary people, particularly those on the margins of society. In this case, it appears that the two women in the scene were prostitutes. The immediacy of the oil paint application contributes to the intimate, unposed quality of the scene. The quick, visible brushstrokes give the impression of a sketch dashed off in a moment. The subject matter, combined with the artist's choice of materials and process, challenges traditional ideas about fine art, elevating the lives of ordinary people to the level of high art.