Skiseblad med tre ryttere, to stående figurer og en hund 1880

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this sketch of riders and figures with pen and ink. Lautrec was a key figure in fin-de-siècle Paris, chronicling the city's cabarets, theaters, and brothels. But, this work seems to show a different aspect of French life, perhaps evoking a rural scene. With its sketchy, unfinished style, the artwork could represent the artist’s modern sensibility. Its quickly drawn figures and animals lack traditional polish. Lautrec was associated with avant-garde movements such as Post-Impressionism and this piece moves away from the rigid academic standards that were dominant at that time. Lautrec was known for challenging social norms through his art, and this sketch, with its loose and informal style, may reflect his rejection of conventional artistic values. To fully understand its context, we might look to contemporary reviews of Lautrec's work, as well as studies of French social life.