Miss May Belfort (Large Plate)

Miss May Belfort (Large Plate) is a significant print created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895, showcasing the artist’s unique approach to portraiture and graphic art. The piece is a large-format lithograph, meticulously rendered using a combination of crayon and spatter techniques printed in rich black ink on wove paper. Identified as a first state impression, the work reflects the earliest phase of its production, highlighting Toulouse-Lautrec's focus on texture and line quality within the demanding medium of printmaking.

The subject is May Belfort, an Irish singer who achieved notoriety in the Parisian café-concerts of the 1890s. Belfort was famous for her deliberately ironic stage presence, contrasting her child-like attire—a white bonnet and long dress—with the adult themes of the fin-de-siècle entertainment venues. Toulouse-Lautrec, who was deeply entrenched in the social landscape of Montmartre, often focused his prints and posters on the compelling figures of the period, documenting women who defined the popular culture of the era.

Toulouse-Lautrec masterfully utilizes the lithographic process to capture Belfort’s distinctive, melancholy gaze and her customary prop, a black cat, creating a sense of both vulnerability and theatrical artifice. The heavy reliance on black ink, softened by the spatter technique, gives the image a velvety depth and immediacy. This work remains a classic example of the artist’s dedication to documenting the contemporary world. This influential print is preserved within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and its stature ensures that high-quality prints and related scholarship often enter the public domain for study and appreciation.