May Belfort

May Belfort by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, executed in 1895, captures the celebrated music-hall singer with characteristic immediacy. This swift portrait utilizes oil applied directly onto millboard, a humble support favored by the artist for its portability and ability to absorb quick, gestural strokes. Though classified as a drawing due to its sketch-like brevity and dynamic lines, the medium showcases Toulouse-Lautrec’s command of both painting and graphic arts. The rough surface enhances the vibrancy of the limited palette, focusing the viewer’s attention on the subject’s distinctive presence rather than elaborate background details.

The subject, May Belfort, was an Irish entertainer who became a staple of the Parisian nightlife scene, specifically performing in the bustling cafés and cabarets of Montmartre. Toulouse-Lautrec, deeply immersed in this culture of performance in France, was unparalleled in his ability to capture the essence of these figures. Unlike formal society portraits, this work emphasizes the performer's psychological state and public persona, often represented by her signature baby-doll dresses and stylized gestures. Toulouse-Lautrec’s distinctive graphic style, refined during his prolific career producing lithographs and posters, informs the bold contours seen here. The proliferation of his images, resulting in many of his graphic works being part of the public domain, cemented his reputation as the chronicler of the fin-de-siècle era. This intimate oil study is held in the prestigious collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a crucial moment in the artist's investigation of modern life.