The influential post-Impressionist master Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured the celebrated performer Cléo de Mérode in this detailed print from 1898. Classified as a print, the work is a crayon lithograph with scraper, expertly executed on delicate china paper. Toulouse-Lautrec was renowned for his ability to translate the vibrant, often chaotic, atmosphere of fin-de-siècle Parisian nightlife into graphic works, frequently focusing on the dynamic lives of women performers and dancers. This piece showcases de Mérode, one of the era’s most famous subjects, known internationally for her distinctive beauty and highly controlled public image.
The use of the crayon lithograph technique allowed Toulouse-Lautrec to achieve the delicate tonal variations visible in the work, while the scraping method added essential highlights and texture, emphasizing the subject's features. Unlike some of his earlier, more immediate portrayals of cabaret life, this depiction of the dancer focuses on formal portraiture and controlled grace, presenting the icon in elegant repose. Toulouse-Lautrec expertly captures the characteristic posture and the famous, tightly bound hairstyle that defined de Mérode's public persona and contributed to her celebrity status. This significant artwork, categorized as a major example of French prints from the turn of the century, resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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