Le maquillage 1904

In "Le Maquillage" (1904), French artist Manuel Robbe captures a private, almost voyeuristic moment of everyday beauty—a young woman leaning toward her vanity mirror, lost in the ritual of applying makeup. This intimate scene is rendered in aquatint and soft-ground etching, techniques that Robbe mastered to achieve rich textures and nuanced coloration.

The figure’s sensual posture, slightly exaggerated silhouette, and the soft interplay of pale yellows, greens, and violets reflect Robbe’s signature Belle Époque aesthetic, which celebrated the elegance and vulnerability of feminine life. Rather than idealizing, Robbe brings a naturalistic empathy to the subject—this is not a mythic figure, but a modern Parisienne absorbed in her own world.

Robbe was known for his ability to combine technical innovation with psychological depth, using etching and aquatint to create subtle tonal transitions that rival the effects of painting. In this work, he turns a fleeting moment into a timeless meditation on beauty and self-presentation.

Aquatint

Woman

Hand-signed by the artist - 41.5 x 33 cm

Good condition