The Sailor's Song – Miss X in the Alabamah Coons (La Chanson du matelot)

The Sailor's Song – Miss X in the Alabamah Coons (La Chanson du matelot) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a key example of the artist's graphic work, created in 1896. Classified as a lithograph, this piece exemplifies Toulouse-Lautrec’s sophisticated mastery of the printing process, using expressive line and saturated color to capture the vibrant, often raw, energy of Parisian nightlife. This work is a celebrated part of the late 19th-century French tradition of observational portraiture focused on the performing arts.

Toulouse-Lautrec often centered his acute, observational studies on the performers and patrons of Montmartre's entertainment venues. This piece focuses on a stage persona, "Miss X," who is associated with the popular American minstrel acts touring Europe, referenced by the title's mention of the "Alabamah Coons." The artist masterfully exploits the capabilities of the lithographic medium, employing nuanced color washes and the distinct graphic clarity required for mass-produced prints. The immediacy of the composition, capturing the figure close to the picture plane, emphasizes costume details and the performative intensity common to these turn-of-the-century music halls.

This specific work, created in 1896, provides crucial documentation of the global influences shaping French culture and its vibrant entertainment scene during the fin-de-siècle. As one of the many studies by Toulouse-Lautrec documenting the celebrity and demimonde of the era, the piece reinforces his characteristic stylistic blend of Japanese woodblock influences and spontaneous draftsmanship. This lithograph, formally titled The Sailor's Song – Miss X in the Alabamah Coons, is held within the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its enduring importance within the artist's portfolio of graphic works.