The Laundress

A working woman crosses Paris in a few gray washes, scratches, and sharp white highlights.

What to notice

Look for the scraped white passages around clothing and street traffic; the technique makes the figure flash against the gray ground.

Discover

Lautrec made this drawing for an article about Parisian summers, focusing on a laborer who remained in the city while wealthier residents left. The restricted palette suits both reproduction and social observation.