Perhaps the antecedent of "it" is literally Madame Poupoule's eye, and Lautrec "sets" its discerning, uninterruptable gaze on the mirror? Regarding the painting apart from the poem, the eye does indeed have some real weight to it. I like the conclusion in the couplet, suggesting a psychological depth to the picture that plumbs deeper than the "ranging reds and blues." I also found the second stanza's reptitions effective--the best phrasing in the poem.
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