This research focuses on the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) and his works from 1890s <Le Baiser>(1892), and lithograph <Elles>(1896). From early 1890s to late 1890s, Lautrec produced various works based on homosexualit... This research focuses on the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) and his works from 1890s <Le Baiser>(1892), and lithograph <Elles>(1896). From early 1890s to late 1890s, Lautrec produced various works based on homosexuality of women working in Montmartre. Even within the works during this period, the lesbian image in <Le Baiser> and <Elles> realistically depicts taboo subjects during that time such as working women of lower class, homosexuality, and cross dressers. This research will show how imaged of working women of the low classes and lesbians, generally used for men's visual satisfaction or pleasure, are described as the symbol of isolated lives of 19th century France in Lautrec's work. Until now, Lautrec's works were understood based on researches focusing on formative characteristics and biographical facts, and especially women's image faced criticism on a feminist standpoint. These kinds of researches tends to focus on the perfunctory aspects of his work or frames Lautrec as bourgeois and male, even though Lautrec's images of women were significantly different from that of other male artists from the same era. Therefore this research will focus on a different stand point and will look into the distinctiveness of Lautrec's images of women, born as a result of Lautrec's private life and periodic circumstances of 19th century France, where discussion of homosexuality and various subcultures appeared. As a result, possibility of an in-depth interpretation on Lautrec's lesbian and lower class women image could be proposed. A characteristic of Lautrec's works depicting daily lives of women in performance or prostitution, and lesbians, is that Lautrec's new viewpoints on the most isolated class continuously appears. Lower class women such as prostitution women, lesbians, and dancers described in the artworks are not just anonymous women existing for the visual pleasure of men but are distinguished characters representing subculture of 19th century France. Especially, Cha-U-Kao is very distinctive in that she is described as a character eliminated of feminism. In the first chapter of <Elles>, <La Clownesse Cha-U-Kao au Moulin Rouge>(1895) and <Le Clowness Assis>(1896) emphasizes her unique confident posture, subtle smile and intense gaze. Lautrec realistically describes Cha-U-Kao's masculine posture and unique smile while wearing a clown costume and pants. Thus through emphasizing a person's unique characteristic, Lautrec represents lower class women as more unique characters rather than some anonymous women. Compared to other artists of the same era, where women were drawn with an emphasis on bodily texture and erotic pose, the fact that Lautrec draws women emphasizing their unique characteristics can be a basis for his positive image of women. A distinctive viewpoint can also be found in <Elles>, the book of paintings describing lesbian household's everyday life and love. In the ninth chapter in this lithograph, <Femme en Corset-Conquête de Passage> a lesbian wearing a male attire, tailcoat, appears. Depiction of shocking subjects such as lesbian and cross dresser reflects specific reality of 19th century Europe, where various sexual discussions increased. In 19th century France, subcultures dissembling dichotomous sexuality distinction, such as transvestism or reverse of sex-roles was seen as sexual violation destroying traditional masculinity or resistance against the existing system. Therefore in 19th century France, the existence of women wearing male attireand homosexuality itself could be seen as a resistance against male authority. Taking into consideration the periodic circumstances, <Elles> could be seen as depicting Lautrec's resistant viewpoint against the hierarchical society and dichotomous gender. Lautrec's unique perspective is also shown in <Le Baiser>, where homosexuality of prostitute women is directly presented. Same as Lautrec's other women images, these women also doesn't show feminism and the androgyny in their looks or attitude blocks glances from male audiences. When most male artists stopped at vividly describing bodily texture of women and emphasizing the erotic side, Lautrec emphasizes the emotion of two women making love through combination of dynamic and natural color and detailed facial expression. The writer sees these characteristics as giving independence to the two lesbians love. In the contact point between his personal life and periodical circumstances, Lautrec's work specifically describing feminist homosexuality and daily life of lower class women depicts late 19th century France, where homosexuality and various other sexual discussion were increasing and fancy subculture of Montmartre also focusing on the lives of the most isolated people. The fact that female homosexuality, which was under suppression throughout the whole human history, was not used as a subject to male voyeurism shows Lautrec's unique point of view on image of women. In sum, Lautrec's lesbian, female characters did not exist for the purpose of men's visual satisfaction but rather unique and independent individuals who can be seen as cultural indicators, realistically depicting the isolated parts of 19th century France.
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