The artwork entitled “Maurice Joyant at the Bay of Somme” is a creation by the renowned artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, dating from 1900. This oil painting on canvas exemplifies the Post-Impressionist movement and is categorized as a genre painting. The dimensions of the work are 116.5 x 81 cm, and it currently resides in the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France.
The artwork captivates the viewer with its rich depiction of Maurice Joyant. The subject is dressed in a long, yellow coat equipped with a hat to match, holding a rifle with a focused and anticipating expression as though surveying the landscape or preparing for a hunt. The backdrop features soft, abstract elements that suggest a vast expanse, which may represent the Somme bay. The swift, visible brushstrokes and vivid hues utilized by Toulouse-Lautrec convey both the motion and the energy of the scene, distinctive traits of the Post-Impressionist approach to painting. The foreground is dominated by the figure of Joyant, contrasting sharply with the softer, more indistinct background, inviting contemplation on the relationship between the individual and the surrounding space.
