Supper in London (Souper à Londres) 1896

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec sketched "Supper in London" using graphite on paper. The scene is punctuated by the prominent display of wine, a potent symbol of revelry, but also of social interaction, relaxation, and perhaps, escape. Historically, wine has been associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and ecstasy. Think about how this symbolic association carries through time, where wine moves from religious ecstasy to mere social pleasure. Consider the psychological weight of these symbols. Note the seemingly detached figures in the drawing, and the emotional impact they have on you as a viewer. It is as if Toulouse-Lautrec taps into a collective memory, a shared understanding of the pleasures and perils associated with intoxication. The cyclical recurrence of this symbol, wine, reveals a complex interplay between tradition and innovation, as it resurfaces, evolves, and is reimagined across different historical contexts.