74 / 242
HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901)
73
●
MAY MILTON. 1895.
31x24
1
/
4
inches, 78
3
/
4
x61
1
/
2
cm. [Edw. Ancourt, Paris.]
Condition B+: minor restoration at edges; repaired tears and creases at edges and in image; tape stains in
top corners; hinged to mat on verso. Paper. Framed. Unexamined out of frame.
A fixture in Montmartre’s demimonde, Lautrec loved to attend shows at music halls, and did so
tirelessly. With his active imagination and whimsical fantasy he would often fall in love with
improbable performers or acts. His attraction to May Belfort, who sang kitschy love songs while
holding a cat, resulted in a poster for her. It also produced this poster for her lover, May Milton, an
English dancer. It is one of the best examples of Lautrec’s brilliant use of blank paper to help create
an image. Against the white background, he evokes the perspective of the stage with a few lines, and
conveys the dancer’s figure in a similar manner. The only real detail is in her face. Against a solid blue
background, the composition is a tribute to Ukiyo-e Japanese prints as interpreted by Lautrec’s genius.
Adriani 134-II, Delteil 336, Reims 786, DFP-II 836, Wember 764, Wittrock P17B, Wine Spectator
45, Weill 50, Art Nouveau p. 96, Abdy p. 83.
[7,000/10,000]