Lady with a Dog

Lady with a Dog was painted in 1891 as an oil on cardboard work. Its provenance begins with Jos Hessel of Paris, who owned it by 1926 and lent it to the 1926 Paris exhibition Trente ans d'art indépendant 1884-1914. By 1931 it was in the collection of Gerald Brooks of New York, who lent it to the Museum of Modern Art's Lautrec-Redon exhibition that year; upon his death it passed to his wife, Helen Brooks.

In June 1936 she sold the painting to the Marie Harriman Gallery, New York, after which it entered the holdings of W. Averell Harriman and later the W. Averell Harriman Foundation. The foundation gifted the work to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1972, where it remains today.

Lady with a Dog has been in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1972, when the W. Averell Harriman Foundation gifted it to the institution. The painting had previously belonged to W. Averell Harriman, who acquired it in June 1936 through the Marie Harriman Gallery in New York. It had been sold to the gallery by Mrs. Helen Brooks, who inherited the work from Gerald Brooks of New York, who held it by 1931. Earlier still, the painting was in the Paris collection of Jos Hessel by 1926.

The work's documented exhibition history begins with its loan by Hessel to the 1926 Paris exhibition Trente ans d'art indépendant 1884–1914. Gerald Brooks subsequently lent it to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, for the 1931 exhibition Lautrec-Redon.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Lady with a Dog, painted in 1891, is an oil on cardboard portrait. This work exemplifies the artist's Post-Impressionist approach, characterized by expressive forms and a departure from strict naturalism. It offers a glimpse into the diverse social fabric of late 19th-century Paris, a milieu that profoundly influenced Toulouse-Lautrec's artistic output across various mediums.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, despite his aristocratic origins, became deeply immersed in the vibrant and sometimes unconventional social scenes of late 19th-century Paris. His personal circumstances and engagement with the city's diverse inhabitants significantly informed his artistic perspective. This portrait, while distinct from his more common depictions of cabaret performers or brothel residents, still reflects his broader interest in capturing individual personalities within the urban landscape.