At the Moulin Rouge: La Goulue and Her Sister

Art Historical Context

Step into the electric world of 1890s Paris with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec *At the Moulin Rouge: La Goul and Her Sister* (1892), a lithograph that captures the cabaret's intoxicating nightlife. Toulouse-Lautrec, a chronicler of Montmartre's bohem scene, immortalizes La Goulue—star can-can dancer Louise Weber—and sister amid the Moulin Rouge's revelry. Printed in six colors on wove paper (this second state of two), the image measures 17½ × 13½ inches, its bold composition drawing viewers into a haze of laughter, dance, and fleeting glamour. Toulouse-Lautrec revolutionized poster art through his innovative color lithography, layering hues with precision to evoke movement and mood, much like his Post-Impressionist paintings. Published by Boussod, Valadon & Co. and printed by Edward Ancourt, this work exemplifies his flair for the demimonde, blending sharp social observation with empathetic portraiture. Tags noting men and women highlight the inclusive, hedonistic crowd. A gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Bessie Potter Vonnoh in 1941, this print not only showcases Toulouse-Lautrec's technical prowess but also preserves the cultural pulse of fin-de-siècle Paris, where art and entertainment collided in dazzling harmony.

About the Artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec|Edward Ancourt|Boussod, Valadon and Co. · 1864–1901

Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (1864-1901) was a French Post-Impressionist painter, printmaker, and illustrator whose innovative poster designs revolutionized graphic art and advertising in late 19th-century Paris. Born into an aristocratic family at Albi in southern France, Toulouse-Lautrec's privileged lineage traced back to the Counts of Toulouse and extended uninterrupted to th...