Souvenir of Auteuil 1881

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this painting, *Souvenir of Auteuil*, with oil on board. Lautrec, a Post-Impressionist, came from an aristocratic background, yet he found himself drawn to the margins of Parisian society. In this work, Lautrec provides us with an inside glimpse into the world of horse racing, a popular pastime among the upper class in late 19th-century France. But notice how he directs our attention to the everyday labor that goes into maintaining these majestic animals. The painting captures a sense of the casual interactions and unspoken hierarchies that shape this exclusive social sphere. With its loose brushstrokes and muted color palette, *Souvenir of Auteuil* eschews the rigid formality often associated with depictions of the elite, offering a more intimate and human perspective on a privileged world. Lautrec’s choice to focus on the mundane aspects of the racecourse reflects his broader artistic project of challenging conventional representations of class and status in modern society.