La Toilette: Kyra Gregory, Isabelle Higgins, Jenny Olsen and Salome Rigvava

Throughout art history, the intimate act of bathing and washing has captivated artists, particularly during the Impressionist era, and often from the male gaze. Painters such as Degas, Renoir, and Cassatt immortalized these private moments, offering glimpses into the lives of women as they engaged in their daily rituals of cleansing and self-care. More than its voyeuristic qualities, this subject reveals the class system that existed in society during the rise of the bourgeoisie, as access to a bath – a freestanding tub, no less – was reserved for the wealthy. The painter and the painted often signified the role of women: the upper-class women who painted, depicted domestic lives, while male painters rendered nudes, such as those of prostitutes and ballerinas. 

This exhibition ”La Toilette," derives its title from the 1889 painting by French painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, features four female painters who reimagine this timeless theme through contemporary lens. By exploring the act of bathing and washing, these artists delve into broader narratives of femininity, identity, and societal expectations. We are excited to showcase this theme in our gallery this summer with works by Kyra Gregory, Isabelle Higgins, Jenny Olsen and Salome Rigvava.