At the Moulin Rouge: La Goulue and Her Sister

At the Moulin Rouge: La Goulue and Her Sister is a seminal print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1892. This work is classified as a lithograph, meticulously printed in six colors on wove paper, representing the second known state of two. Toulouse-Lautrec, renowned for capturing the decadent energy of Montmartre, focused his gaze on the celebrity performer La Goulue (Louise Weber) and her sibling, presenting them within the bustling environment of the famed Parisian dance hall.

The composition centers on the two women, one a star of the stage, surrounded by the patrons who frequented the notorious establishment. In typical fashion for the artist, the figures of the men and women who populate the background are often rendered as dark silhouettes or abstracted shapes, emphasizing the central subjects while echoing the crowded, sometimes illicit, atmosphere of the venue. Toulouse-Lautrec’s innovative use of color lithography allowed him to achieve the flat, expressive tones and immediate visual impact necessary for his prints, enabling him to document and define the era's social scene with unprecedented realism and energy.

As a definitive example of fin-de-siècle graphic art, this piece showcases Toulouse-Lautrec’s mastery of quick portraiture and his pioneering approach to mass-produced prints. The work currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is preserved as an essential record of late 19th-century Parisian life. Because of the age and enduring artistic significance of At the Moulin Rouge: La Goulue and Her Sister, high-resolution reproductions are frequently available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread access to this important contribution to the history of the lithograph.