Miss May Belfort

Miss May Belfort is a major lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895. Classified as a print, this piece exemplifies the artist’s mastery of graphic media and his unwavering focus on documenting the vibrant, often cynical, nightlife of Belle Époque Paris. Toulouse-Lautrec embraced the technical possibilities of the lithograph, using the medium to achieve a distinctive artistic economy of line and color that blurred the boundaries between fine art and commercial illustration.

The subject is the celebrated Irish singer May Belfort (1872-1929), a Montmartre cabaret star known for her unique performance style. Belfort gained notoriety by singing risqué songs while dressed in an infantilized smock and bonnet, often cradling a black kitten. Toulouse-Lautrec was fascinated by performers who adopted theatrical, mask-like personae, and he captures Belfort’s distinctive stage presence here with simplified forms and strong outlines, reflecting the influence of contemporary Japanese woodblock prints. The composition focuses intimately on the sitter, presenting a snapshot of celebrity performance in 19th-century France.

This work is one of several iconic prints created by Toulouse-Lautrec during the height of his career, confirming his status as an essential visual chronicler of modern urban life. His lithographs were often circulated widely, contributing to the burgeoning culture of mass-produced art. As key documentation of the period's graphic arts, the work resides in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Prints of this influential piece are often studied by researchers, and high-quality reproductions are frequently made accessible via public domain resources.