May Belfort (1898)
Original title: May Belfort
kurzbeschreibung
In 1898 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec turned his attention to the singer May Belfort in this crayon lithograph, placing her inside a room. Printed on china paper, the sheet captures the performer in a gestural pose, one hand raised.
Description
She stands at the centre, wearing a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a bow at her neck. Her wavy hair falls over one shoulder; one hand is lifted in a gesture, the other rests on a tabletop. A patterned window behind her lets light stream in. The lithograph is rendered in shades of grey, with realistic features and impressionistic strokes.
Context
This print dates from 1898, when Toulouse-Lautrec was exploring Parisian nightlife intensively. May Belfort, an Irish singer, performed in Montmartre and ranked among the artist's recurring subjects. The lithograph belongs to his series of portraits of well-known entertainers.
Impact
The arrangement pulls the eye straight to the woman, whose gesture and the handling of light convey a vivid presence. The monochrome palette and delicate linework give the portrait an atmosphere that feels at once intimate and detached.
Technique
Executed as a crayon lithograph on china paper, the process allows nuanced greys and precise rendering of light and shadow. The sheet was presumably printed in an edition, as was customary for Toulouse-Lautrec's portrait series.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)