M. de Lauradour

In addition to his skill at satirical images of Paris cabaret life, Lautrec was also a gifted portraitist. M. de Lauradour is one of the last of Lautrec’s completed portraits and is considered amongst his finest. The artist’s acuity in capturing precise physiognomic detail lends the image a distinctive elegance and charm. He is said to have been attracted to the sitter "because he had a splendid red beard and wore his top hat like no one else." M. de Lauradour is seen relaxed, cane across his knees, leaning back in a wicker chair in Lautrec's studio. Canvases are stacked against the wall behind him. On the bed a pair of pink ladies' shoes adds a color accent and a suggestive touch.