Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge, oil on canvas, France ca. 1892-1895, Art Institute, Chicago.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a renowned French Post-Impressionistic artist who lived from 1864 to 1901. His works remain around the world today, with many being in the Art Institute of Chicago. One of his most famous, if not his most well-known, is At the Moulin Rouge. Since its initial opening in 1889, Toulouse-Lautrec has been connected to the Moulin Rouge. The owner of the nightclub purchased the artist’s glorious piece, titled Equestrienne, to be used as décor for the foyer. Toulouse-Lautrec crowded At the Moulin Rouge with portraits of the nightclub’s commoners, even including himself. He is positioned in the center background, sitting at the main table. Near him sits Gabriel Tapié de Céleyran, Toulouse-Lautrec’s cousin. One of the nightclub’s dancers, La Goulue, is seen fixing her hair behind the table where Toulouse-Lautrec and his cousin both sit socializing with Jane Avril, a major performer. May Milton, a known singer, looks from the right corner of the painting, her facial features lit with algae green. After the painting’s creation, either Toulouse-Lautrec’s dealer or himself decided to cut the canvas down in hopes of removing Milton. It is believed to have been done in hopes of cutting out Milton’s peculiar appearance, making it difficult to sell and put on the market. For an unknown reason, by 1914 the section was reapplied to the painting. This piece was made in France and utilizes oil on canvas.
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