Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec was spellbound by the cabarets and indoor cafés of the Parisian Montmartre neighborhood. He became personal friends with many of the female performers and had a lasting effect upon their celebrity through the advertisements and print series he created to honor them. Perhaps the most famous of all the performers was Yvette Guilbert. In this watercolor study for the series of lithographs, Album Yvette Guilbert, he depicted her in her trademark costume: black gloves and a simple satin dress with a deep v-neck in front and back. Although Guilbert did not appreciate Toulouse-Lautrec’s characterization of her irregular features, the album of lithographs nonetheless increased her recognition and renown considerably.