In Their Forties

Description

A man and woman appear close together in profile in Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s In Their Forties, their half-length figures giving conversation an intimate scale. A hat helps distinguish the person at the left. The pale printed forms keep attention on the neighboring faces, allowing an ordinary exchange to become a particular human encounter rather than a generalized social scene.

Made in 1893, the crayon lithograph is printed in olive green on imitation Japan paper. It was published by L’Escarmouche and reproduced in the journal’s November 12 issue. Toulouse-Lautrec gives an ordinary human subject a form suited to circulation as well as close attention. The work’s appeal lies in the specificity supplied by its title, allowing a familiar social world to be approached through people whose lives and appearances retain significance beyond a passing glance.