Miss May Belfort (large plate)

Miss May Belfort (large plate) is a striking color lithograph created in 1895 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec French, 1864-1901, executed on cream wove paper. This iconic print captures the Irish singer May Belfort, a fixture of the thriving Montmartre cabaret scene in 1890s Paris, France. Lautrec, a master of the affiche (poster), utilized the revolutionary medium of color lithography to render the vibrant atmosphere and specific personalities of the Belle Époque. The technique, which allowed for flat fields of color and bold, simplified contours, demonstrates his artistic debt to Japanese woodblock prints and the emerging aesthetics of Art Nouveau.

Lautrec’s portrayal of Belfort is notable for its artistic economy and psychological insight. He focuses on the performer's signature stage persona: a figure wrapped in oversized sleeves with an innocent, almost melancholic expression. Belfort often performed while holding a small black kitten, a visual motif frequently integrated into the artist’s depictions of her. Unlike traditional portraiture, this piece functions both as an artistic study and a memorial to the ephemeral nature of celebrity in turn-of-the-century France. The artist's distinctive style, relying on sweeping lines and a controlled palette to evoke mood, elevated the commercial poster to the level of fine art prints. This historic lithograph by Lautrec is preserved in the prestigious collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a crucial example of French graphic arts. High-quality versions of these prints are frequently available through public domain collections, attesting to the enduring popularity of this masterwork.