May Belfort from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies)

May Belfort from Portraits of Actors and Actresses: Thirteen Lithographs (Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices: Treize Lithographies) is a characteristic print by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Created in 1898 as one image within a significant portfolio of thirteen lithographs, this piece captures the popular Irish singer May Belfort, a celebrated fixture of the Parisian cabarets and music halls that defined the French cultural scene at the turn of the century. Toulouse-Lautrec specialized in documenting this vibrant nightlife, often focusing on the performers whose public identities were intricately tied to their theatrical roles.

As a lithograph, this print exemplifies Toulouse-Lautrec’s masterful control over line and texture, allowing him to produce expressive and intimate portraits for wide distribution. Although the piece is dated 1898, the complete portfolio of Portraits d'Acteurs & Actrices was officially published around 1906, establishing a lasting visual record of the era’s most celebrated figures. The artist’s technique, influenced heavily by Japanese prints and Impressionism, translated complex psychological studies into simplified, highly expressive forms, defining the aesthetics of late 19th-century graphic arts.

Toulouse-Lautrec captured May Belfort's distinctive stage presence, known for singing childlike songs while often dressed in highly stylized, infant-like attire. This focus on individual character elevated his work beyond mere documentation. The production of this print reinforces the classification of the work, reflecting the artist’s commitment to mass-produced media that made his art accessible to a broader audience than traditional painting. This essential piece of French art history is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Due to the date of its creation (1898, published c. 1906), high-quality images of this influential print are increasingly available for scholarly research through institutional and public domain collections.