Skating 1896

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created this lithograph, Skating, portraying a social scene during the Belle Époque in France. Toulouse-Lautrec, a man of aristocratic background, often depicted the marginalized figures of Parisian society. Here, we see a snapshot of leisure, but through the artist’s distinctive lens, we are invited to consider who gets to occupy these spaces. The woman, with her striking hat, and the gentleman with his top hat and beer, are rendered with a kind of frankness. Do they belong to the upper classes who are leisurely skating, or the working classes hoping to mix with the upper classes? Toulouse-Lautrec’s style, influenced by Japanese prints and Degas, captures the fleeting moments of modern life with a sense of immediacy. His work invites us to reflect on the complexities of social life. What does it mean to occupy certain spaces, and who defines the boundaries?