At the Moulin Rouge: the Franco-Russian Alliance

At the Moulin Rouge: the Franco-Russian Alliance is a seminal print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, in 1893. This significant work, classified as a print, utilizes the medium of lithography executed on cream wove paper. Lautrec was a master chronicler of Parisian fin de siècle culture, focusing particularly on the vibrant, sometimes vulgar, atmosphere of cabarets and dance halls in the Montmartre district of France.

The subject matter explicitly links the famous venue, the Moulin Rouge, with the highly topical 1892 military pact between France and Imperial Russia. This deliberate juxtaposition of high diplomacy and low-culture spectacle captures the satirical and often cynical spirit prevalent during the Third Republic. Lautrec’s unique approach to the lithograph medium is characterized by stark, dynamic lines, simplified forms, and a keen sense of caricature, allowing him to capture the fleeting movement and unique personalities that populated the dance hall.

Lautrec heavily influenced the development of modern graphic design and printmaking, treating the print not just as reproduction, but as a primary art form. His dedication to producing prints as a mass medium ensured wide dissemination of his critical social observations. The enduring power of this work lies in its ability to embed political commentary within everyday Parisian nightlife. This specific impression is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Today, the continued interest in these iconic prints ensures that reproductions often circulate in the public domain for scholarly research and study.