The Laundresses
1899 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil painting depicts figures walking on a cobblestone street at night, likely in Paris. It demonstrates the artist's focus on social realism and the working class within the aesthetic framework of the late 19th-century avant-garde.
Did you know?
Théophile Steinlen was a Swiss-born French artist famous for his depictions of Parisian street life and his iconic posters for Le Chat Noir cabaret. In works like The Laundresses, he moved beyond purely decorative Art Nouveau motifs to capture the poignant, often difficult realities of working-class women in Montmartre. His empathetic perspective and sharp observation of human postures made him one of the most prominent chroniclers of his time.
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The Laundresses
Théophile Steinlen, 1899
