◇ La Lavandière (1995) Original Oil Painting by Isabel Mahe

. . .

Where does this strength come from?

She has washed sheets soiled with the sweat of others.
From her breast, she has given the essence of life to infants.
Not always her own, for that matter.
She has tended to the suffering of those close to her
And those far from her too.
To comfort, to ease their pain and their deepest sorrows.
She resigned herself when her child would survive only a few months.
She concealed her sadness, preserved the harmony of her home.
She accepted embraces she did not always desire.

Irony? Paradox?

Who dared
to call her
“the weaker sex”?

. . .

Isabel Mahe
8 août 2026

. . .

Materials used:

Oil painting on cardboard

Details:

• Oil painting on Panel / Board / MDF
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 68.5 x 88.5 x 3cm (framed) / 59 x 79cm (actual image size)
• Framed and ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: People and portraits