DAY 235

A PICTURE’S WORTH 1000 200 WORDS

Jane Avril

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, 1893

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, renowned Post-Impressionist painter, is also known for his art nouveau lithographs such as this one, depicting the legendary French can-can dancer Jane Avril. Toulouse-Lautrec made a name for himself by producing vibrant, stylized scenes of fin de siècle Paris and portraying notable characters from late 19^th-century Parisian nightlife. His works helped bolster the popularity of some of Paris’s nightclubs including the now famous Moulin Rouge.

This poster is different from the works we’ve featured so far because it was created as an advertisement rather than as a piece of fine art. It served to announce that Jane Avril would perform at the Jardin de Paris, which was a café-concert (similar to a beer hall with live entertainment) located along one of the most famous streets in Paris, the Champs-Elysees.

By the time this lithograph was produced in 1893, Jane Avril’s star had risen to make her the second most famous dancer in the city. Only the controversial Louise Weber (also known as “La Goulue”) outshone Avril, and Toulouse-Lautrec also depicted her in his lithographs. Here he immortalized Jane’s famous high kick, part of the provocative can-can dance that she performed at various hot spots around town. —DDG