Miss May Belfort, Large Plate (Miss May Belfort, grande planche)

Miss May Belfort, Large Plate (Miss May Belfort, grande planche) is a celebrated lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895. This work exemplifies the French tradition of graphic arts during the fin de siècle, documenting the vibrant and often gritty nightlife of Paris. The subject, May Belfort, was a prominent Irish singer known for her distinct stage presence and child-like costuming, performing regularly in Montmartre cabarets and concert halls.

The piece is a significant example of Toulouse-Lautrec’s mature style within the late 19th-century period (1876 to 1900). As a master of the medium, the artist utilized lithography not merely for reproduction, but as a primary artistic vehicle, capable of capturing immediate and expressive qualities. The technique allowed him to define the singer's figure with swift, angular lines and large areas of saturated color-wash, typical of the distinctive prints and posters he produced for the Parisian entertainment world. This specific impression, often referred to as a "large plate" due to its substantial scale, isolates the subject with dramatic effect, lending her a monumental quality even amidst the spontaneity of the drawn style.

Toulouse-Lautrec frequently documented the performers and patrons of venues like the Chat Noir and the Mirliton, creating enduring visual records of Parisian cultural life. This portrayal of Belfort is among the artist’s most recognizable celebrity portraits. The impression of Miss May Belfort, Large Plate is held in the comprehensive collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it contributes to the institution's notable holdings of French works from the Post-Impressionist era. Today, the enduring quality of these prints ensures that Toulouse-Lautrec's legacy remains a key element in understanding European visual culture at the turn of the century.