Artwork
Mlle. Pois Vert
Mlle. Pois Vert is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The image captures a side view of a woman whose hair is gathered back and secured with a small bow, her profile outlined with swift, gestural lines.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1895 lithograph titled Mlle. Pois Vert presents a solitary female figure rendered in a stark green‑black palette. The image captures a side view of a woman whose hair is gathered back and secured with a small bow, her profile outlined with swift, gestural lines. The composition is minimal, offering only a hint of her shoulder and a faint suggestion of a chair arm against an otherwise empty background.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on the intimate portrayal of a single woman, emphasizing her facial features and the simplicity of her attire. While the title hints at a playful nickname, the piece does not depict a specific narrative scene; instead, it reflects Toulouse‑Lautrec’s interest in isolated portraiture that conveys character through gesture and expression rather than elaborate setting.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image employs a green‑black ink that yields a tonal quality resembling dark ink on paper. Toulouse‑Lautrec’s characteristic graphic approach is evident in the loose, rapid strokes that define the hair, bow, and facial contour. The background is largely void, allowing the bold line work to dominate and convey immediacy, a hallmark of his printmaking practice.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑1890s, Mlle. Pois Vert belongs to a prolific period when Toulouse‑Lautrec produced numerous prints documenting Parisian life. The lithograph was likely issued as part of a limited run, typical of his commercial output, and has since circulated among private collections and museum holdings that specialize in fin‑de‑siècle French graphic art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (French: ), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator.
Head of a Woman
Etude
Tête de femme, profil à droite (Head of a Woman in Profile to the Right)
Polaire
Miss May Belfort in the Irish and American Bar, rue Royale (Miss Belfort Belfort au Irish and American Bar, Rue Royale)
Bildnis einer Jungen Dame—Anneliese Halbe (Portrait of a Young Woman—Anneliese Halbe)
Jeanne Hading
Jeanne Granier
Yvette Guilbert Intoxicated
In "La glu" (Dans "La glu")
Sketch of a Young Lady in Violet (Esquisse de jeune femme a la violette)
Cassive