The Laundresses
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 83.2 x 68.2 cm (32 3/4 x 26 7/8 in.) framed: 101.3 x 85.1 x 10.1 cm (39 7/8 x 33 1/2 x 4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Chester Dale Collection
Accession Number
1954.4.4
Art Historical Context
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen’s *The Laundresses* (1899) captures a quiet yet powerful moment in the daily lives of working women in turn-of-the-century Paris. Born in Switzerland and active in France during the Belle Époque, Steinlen was deeply engaged with the social realities of the urban poor. While best known for his vibrant posters and illustrations of Montmartre nightlife, he frequently turned to oil painting to portray laborers with dignity and empathy. Here, the artist presents laundresses at their demanding task, highlighting both their physical labor and their shared resilience. Pai...
About the Artist
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, born on November 10, 1859, in Lausanne, Switzerland, hailed from a family with artistic roots; his grandfather, Christian Gottlieb Steinlen, was a painter and draftsman. After two years studying theology at the University of Lausanne, he trained in industrial ornamental drawing in Mulhouse under Schoenhaupt and worked as a designer trainee at a textile mill. Encourage...