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Pessima

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

1898

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Pessima is a 1898 ink by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
When & what style?: 1898 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a rough, quick drawing of a person’s head and shoulders. The lines are light and shaky, almost like a hurried note. The background is just a plain, pale beige paper with no extra details. The artist used a simple technique to make this image—just pencil or charcoal on paper. It looks like a first try or a quick idea rather than a finished work. Next, check out lithography to see how artists like this one made prints.