At the Bastille, Jeanne Wenz1887
Henri de TOULOUSE-LAUTREC France 1864 – 1901 oil on canvas 72.5 (h) x 49.5 (w) cm National Gallery of Art, Washington DC Collection of Mr and Mrs Paul Mellon
Drinkers were a popular theme for Lautrec. The subject of this painting is inspired by an Aristide Bruant song. The song tells the story of a down-and-out woman, with large brown eyes, who could be found every evening serving drinks at a bar called the Bastille.Here Lautrec has created a sensitive portrait of his friend, Jeanne Wenz, as the vulnerable femme de brasserie [waitress] the lone drinker. The dark and moody palette evokes the tragic nature of this subject.