May Belfort

The lithograph May Belfort was created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895. This piece captures the English cabaret singer May Belfort, a unique fixture of the Parisian entertainment scene during the fin-de-siècle. Known for her signature attire of a baby-like dress and bonnet, paired with her performance of characteristic lullabies, Belfort was a compelling subject for the artist, who frequented the Montmartre clubs to document the era’s celebrities. Toulouse-Lautrec utilized the medium of the color lithograph as a means of quickly recording the vibrant, often transitory lives of the performers, dancers, and denizens of the nightlife district.

In this composition, the female subject is rendered with the bold graphic style characteristic of the artist's prints. The design focuses intimately on Belfort, capturing her distinctive persona with expressive lines. A crucial detail is the inclusion of a cat, nestled near the subject's bodice. This inclusion of animals, seen frequently in Toulouse-Lautrec’s depictions of women, adds a layer of theatrical juxtaposition or unexpected domesticity to the performer's professional stage image.

The work exemplifies the technical precision required for high-quality color lithography, showcasing Toulouse-Lautrec's ability to achieve definition and mood through carefully modulated fields of color rather than extensive modeling. The nature of these mass-produced prints meant they reached a wider audience than traditional oil paintings. As a seminal work from the late nineteenth century, this important print resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, helping preserve the legacy of one of Post-Impressionism's greatest graphic artists. Today, many of these celebrated prints, including those depicting key figures like Belfort, have passed into the public domain, ensuring their continued study and widespread accessibility.