Elles; The Clownesse
1897
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captures the gritty glamour of 1890s Paris nightlife in this striking color lithograph, a key work of Post-Impressionism. The central figure, a female clown likely named Cha-U-Kao from the Cirque Médrano, commands attention with her massive yellow ruffled collar and stark white makeup against a dark outfit. Unlike his more famous depictions of can-can dancers, Toulouse-Lautrec found deep fascination in the marginalized performers of the circus world. The distinct grainy texture is a hallmark of his lithography technique, where he drew directly onto stone to create these vibrant, poster-like images.
- Technique
- Color lithograph
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