Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a brilliant chronicler of Paris nightlife, depicting the dancers, singers, and clowns who captured his attention. But some, such as can-can dancer Jane Avril, were more than mere models: they became his friends and inspiration. In his lithographs, paintings, and drawings, Toulouse-Lautrec explored Avril’s celebrity and humanity. He depicted her many moods and qualities, from her fame as a high-kicking chahuteuse to being a refined print connoisseur. In this talk, Mary Weaver Chapin, curator of prints and drawings at the Portland Art Museum, examines the images and the relationship between these friends and fellow artists and charts the influence that flowed in both directions.
This talk is generously supported by the Gudmund Vigtel Works on Paper Fund.
Visit the High Museum: high.org
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a brilliant chronicler of Paris nightlife, depicting the dancers, singers, and clowns who captured his attention. But some, such as can-can dancer Jane Avril, were more than mere models: they became his friends and inspiration. In his lithographs, paintings, and drawings, Toulouse-Lautrec explored Avril’s celebrity and humanity. He depicted her many moods and qualities, from her fame as a high-kicking chahuteuse to being a refined print connoisseur. In this talk, Mary Weaver Chapin, curator of prints and drawings at the Portland Art Museum, examines the images and the relationship between these friends and fellow artists and charts the influence that flowed in both directions.
This talk is generously supported by the Gudmund Vigtel Works on Paper Fund.
Visit the High Museum: high.org
