Le Retour du Lavoir 1912

Steinlen made this lithograph, Le Retour du Lavoir, sometime around 1900. It's got this tonal, hazy, dream-like quality. I imagine Steinlen, with his love of the demimonde, watching women lugging laundry back from the washhouse, their bodies strained. What might he have been thinking as he worked on the stone? Maybe something about the weight of labor, or the way bodies carry the burden of everyday life. See how he uses these really simple, gestural marks to describe the scene. The tan colour is reminiscent of other artists who made prints at the time, like Bonnard and Vuillard. They were all vibing on similar themes. It makes me want to look at this less as a straightforward image and more like a feeling. This piece, like so much great art, is part of a huge, ongoing conversation, right? Artists riffing off each other, borrowing ideas, pushing boundaries. And it's still going on today. It embraces uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.