plate no. 1960

The Milliner

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1900

oil, cardboardPost-Impressionismportraitfigureportraitwomanhatsinteriorclothing

what to study here

It shows how a loosely brushed, streaky background and a few controlled edges can make a lit face dominate a dark, cool field.

Start with the value structure. Squint and the picture breaks into three bands: a luminous head and neck, a mid-toned jacket, and a deep surrounding darkness. The face and neck are the brightest notes, the hat and lower-left silhouette are the darkest, and the reddish-blonde hair and jacket bridge the two with warm-to-cool midtones. Light comes from the left-front, so the face is lit while the back and surroundings drop into shadow.

Then study how edge handling changes by area. The background is loose, vertical streaks of teal and blue-black, left sketchy on purpose. The hat has a crisp dark outline, the face has softer modeled edges, the hair carries directional marks that follow its form, and the jacket uses flowing diagonal strokes. The loose ground makes the restrained face read as more finished. Notice too that the neck and collar are warm off-white, not pure white. Copy the restraint: stop once proportion and value are right.

key decision

The painter kept the background loose and vertically streaked while confining crisp edges to the hat and soft modeling to the face, so the lit profile is the clear focus.

recreation guide

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s *The Milliner* (1900) is a portrait executed in oil on cardboard, a medium choice consistent with his frequent use of portable, lightweight supports for rapid execution and study (Source 7). As a Post-Impressionist, Lautrec’s work is characterized by a departure from strict naturalism toward expressive distortion and graphic linearity, often capturing the bohemian life of Paris (Source 7). The artwork serves as a record of a specific subject, adhering to the genre of portrait painting which aims to achieve a recognizable likeness while expressing the artist’s emotional or observational response (Source 3). The use of cardboard suggests a practical approach to material selection, where the support’s limitations and qualities are embraced rather than concealed (Source 2).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for color application	—
Cardboard	Support surface, consistent with Lautrec's practice	Heavyweight illustration board or mounted cardboard
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/stand oil)	Medium for glazing and binding pigments	Stand oil or walnut oil
Black, Ultramarine, White	Primary pigments for monochrome underpainting (grisaille)	—
Red and Yellow earth tones/ochres	Glazing and scumbling layers to introduce warmth and flesh tones	—

preparation

surface prep

The cardboard support should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming instructions for this exact work are not detailed in the sources, Lautrec’s use of cardboard implies a need for a stable ground. Historically, artists might use a thin layer of gesso or oil primer to prevent the cardboard fibers from absorbing too much oil, ensuring the 'vitality possessed by the medium' is not lost to the support (Source 2).

underdrawing

Lautrec was a skilled draughtsman and caricaturist, suggesting a strong initial drawing phase. However, sources note that he often worked rapidly. The underdrawing likely focused on the 'construction' of the figure, ensuring the 'keen sense of construction' necessary for rendering the human form with success (Source 4). Specific details of the underdrawing for *The Milliner* are not provided in the sources, so the artist should rely on general principles of figure construction (Source 4).

underpainting

The process likely involves a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white, as described in the practice of oil painting where the first painting is with oil of copavia and these specific colors (Source 1). This step establishes the values and forms before color is introduced.

color palette

Black

Pure black pigment

Underpainting and shadows

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine pigment

Underpainting and cool shadows

White

Lead white or titanium white

Underpainting and highlights

Red/Yellow Tones

Transparent reds and yellows (e.g., vermilion, ochre)

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and flesh tones

composition

The composition is a portrait, intending to represent a specific human subject (Source 3). Lautrec’s Post-Impressionist style often involved cropping and dynamic angles, but specific compositional details for *The Milliner* are not described in the sources. The artist should focus on the 'organization of an artwork' using elements like line, shape, and value to create a cohesive whole (Source 5).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the figure on the cardboard, focusing on the construction and proportions of the human form.
Tip — Ensure the underlying structure is sound to support the surface effects of light and shade (Source 4).
Figure construction

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome layer (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Do not proceed to glazing until the underpainting is quite dry (Source 1).
Drying

refining

step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil, applying yellow and red tones as they occur in the subject.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to tint the engraving-like underpainting (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the likeness and emotional expression, ensuring the work remains a 'painted symbol' rather than a mere deception of nature.
Tip — Avoid tricking the eye into forgetting it is looking at a painted picture; maintain the vitality of the medium (Source 2).
Expressive realism

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build up tone and depth, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying a semi-opaque layer of paint over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms, allowing the underlying painting to show through (Source 1).

Grisaille

Creating a monochrome underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values before adding color (Source 1).

common pitfalls

→Attempting to achieve a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than expressing the vitality of the medium (Source 2).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the monochrome foundation (Source 1).
→Ignoring the construction of the human figure, leading to a lack of solidity and form (Source 4).
→Over-mixing colors to the point where they lose their chroma and become muddy, rather than using complementary colors to neutralize (Source 8).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of *The Milliner* (e.g., the milliner's pose, clothing, facial expression) are not described in the sources, so the recreation must rely on the artist's own reference or interpretation of Lautrec's style.
·The exact ratio of oil to pigment in Lautrec's glazes is not specified, requiring experimentation.
·The specific priming method for the cardboard is not detailed, leaving room for variation in surface preparation.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Material selection and artistic intent
The Human Figure↗
- DRAWING THE HUMAN FIGURE — applied to Figure construction and anatomy

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Genre definition and likeness goals
Wikipedia bio — Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec↗
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — part 1 — applied to Artist context and medium choice
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Color mixing and neutralization

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A woman in profile faces right, wearing a large black hat with dark plumes, her pale face and reddish-blonde hair luminous against a moody teal-blue background. Light enters from the left-front, strongly illuminating her face and neck while leaving the back and surroundings in shadow. The figure dominates the center-right; dark silhouettes and objects anchor the lower left and right edges. Your eye moves first to the face, then to the dramatic black hat against the streaked background.

value structure

The figure reads as a bright, unified mass set against a dark field. Darkest darks live in the hat, the silhouetted form lower left, and deep background; the brightest lights are the face and neck. Hair and jacket sit in warm-to-cool midtones that bridge between extremes. Squinting reveals three distinct value bands: the luminous head/neck, the mid-toned jacket, and the deep surrounding darkness.

observed palette and mixes

#0e161f
Prussian blue + ivory black, with touch of alizarin for depth
Hat, deepest background shadows, lower-left silhouettes
#182833
Prussian blue + ultramarine + small amount of raw umber
Mid-tone background, defining edges of forms
#44575c
Ultramarine + ochre + white
Jacket fabric, cooler shadow areas
#6a7a79
Gray-green: Cerulean blue + yellow ochre + white
Cylindrical form on right, lighter jacket highlights
#a2a491
Warm tan: Yellow ochre + raw sienna + white + touch of ultramarine
Hair midtones, subtle warm shadows on neck
#e8d4b8
Flesh base: Cadmium yellow light + alizarin + white with cerulean undertone
Face and neck, the brightest luminous areas
#d4a574
Reddish-blonde: Cadmium orange + alizarin + yellow ochre + touch of ultramarine
Hair highlights and midtones

edges and brushwork

The background is the work's signature: loose, directional vertical strokes in teal and blue-black, left deliberately sketchy and atmospheric rather than refined. The figure's edges vary—the hat's outline is crisp and dark, the face softer with modeled edges catching light, the hair shows directional marks following form. The jacket fabric is described with flowing diagonal strokes suggesting fabric weight and folds.

a working sequence

01
Composition and proportions
Lightly sketch the woman's profile: locate her head at about one-third to the right; establish the high profile of the hat above. Place the large black silhouette lower left, and the pale cylindrical form right. Mark the turning point of her shoulders and the tilt of her posture—she leans slightly back, creating an elegant S-curve from shoulder to neck to jaw.
02
Background masses and darks
Begin with the background using loose, vertical brushwork. Use your darkest teal-blue-black (Prussian blue + black) in broad strokes, leaving areas slightly lighter for mid-tone variation. Don't blend; let vertical streaks remain visible. The background should feel atmospheric and unfinished—this sets the stage for the luminous figure.
03
Hat and silhouettes
Paint the large black hat as one unified dark mass, defining its rounded top and the slight curve where it sits on the head. Use the same dark tone to suggest the silhouetted forms lower left. These establish the value anchor and frame the pale face.
04
Head structure and face
Block in the head shape with a warm flesh tone (cadmium yellow + alizarin + white). Establish the profile line: the forehead curves, the nose has a delicate bridge, the lips are small and the chin recedes. Keep modeling subtle—use warmer tones on the cheek and cooler undertones on the shadowed temple. The face's refinement contrasts with the loose background.
05
Hair and head detail
Layer the reddish-blonde hair using warm orange-ochre tones with darker ultramarine shadows. Follow the direction of the hair bundle swept up and back. Notice how the golden light catches the top—keep those areas lighter. Build shadow complexity: the hair isn't uniform; warm and cool notes play across it. Use visible directional strokes.
06
Neck, collar, and shoulder transition
Paint the delicate neck area—it's where the brightest, warmest flesh tones sit. The pale yellow-white high collar and bow create an elegant focus where head meets body. These areas are luminous but not stark white; use warm off-whites with ochre undertones. The shoulder begins to turn into shadow as it moves left into the jacket.
07
Jacket and cylindrical form
The jacket is a muted blue-green (cerulean + ochre + white), darker than the sky, lighter than the hat. Use directional brushwork suggesting fabric weight and the turn of her posture. On the right, paint the pale blue-gray cylindrical object (possibly a hat stand or millinery tool)—its cool gray reads as a quiet accent against the teal background.
08
Refine facial features and edges
Define the eye with a delicate line; the gaze is downward and meditative. Soften the edges of the cheek and temple where light meets shadow. The mouth is rendered simply—a small line with pinkish undertone. Check that the face remains fresh and not over-painted; these should feel like suggestions of form, not photographic detail.
09
Final adjustments and rhythm
Step back. The darkest darks should feel truly dark, the face luminous by contrast. Refine any areas where background and figure edge against each other—these boundaries hold the composition. Add any final accents where light catches fabric or hair. The overall feeling should be intimate and observant, not labored.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Overworking the face—this painting's power comes from suggesting delicate features with restraint. Once the proportions and value are right, stop.
Making the background too uniform or blended—it's meant to be loose and streaky. Resist the urge to smooth it; let vertical brushwork and color variation remain visible.
Muddying the reddish-blonde hair through too much mixing. Keep your yellows, oranges, and cool darks somewhat distinct, blending only enough to suggest form.
Pushing the collar and neck area too white—they're pale and luminous but still warm-toned. Use cream, pale ochre, and off-white, not pure titanium white.
Losing the subtle profile line—the graceful curve from forehead to nose to chin is essential. Check it often against your sketch.

measured difficulty