Portrait of Toulouse-Lautrec (Portrait de Toulouse-Lautrec) 1893

Editor: We’re looking at Charles Maurin’s “Portrait of Toulouse-Lautrec” from 1893, currently housed at the Met. It appears to be a print, maybe an etching or aquatint. There's a real textural quality to the image. It looks gritty and raw. As a portrait, what is conveyed through such a textured surface? Curator: Note the incisive quality of the lines, the almost brutal directness with which the artist captures the sitter’s profile. Maurin seems less interested in capturing a likeness than in exploring the inherent qualities of the etching medium. See how the varying densities of the hatched lines create form and volume. Consider the figure's dark hat against the lighter background. Editor: Yes, the stark contrast really draws the eye. How much does the subject matter, the depiction of Toulouse-Lautrec, contribute to the overall impact of the piece? Curator: The subject certainly adds a layer of meaning, but formalism would lead us to examine how the artist’s choice of the profile view, the deliberate use of shadow, and the overall composition contribute to the portrait’s character. The emphasis here is on the how, not necessarily the who. Are we looking at likeness or surface? Editor: I see your point. By focusing on the medium and form, the work opens up beyond being just a portrait. It’s a study in texture and light, with the subject almost secondary. Curator: Precisely. And within the formalist methodology, the subject serves the image as it brings it forward in contrast of the space available. Editor: Thank you, that reframes my understanding. I now see it more as a masterful manipulation of the medium than solely a representation of an individual. Curator: My pleasure. Reflect on how these formal qualities can inform and perhaps even challenge our traditional notions of portraiture.