Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril: Beyond the Moulin Rouge

Accompanying an exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery, London, this publication is the first to celebrate the important creative collaboration between the artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) and his muse, the dancer Jane Avril (1868–1943). Avril was one of the stars of Moulin Rouge in the 1890s, and was nicknamed ‘La Mélinite’ after a form of explosive. Known for her alluring style and exotic persona, her fame was assured by a series of dazzlingly inventive posters designed by Lautrec. She became an emblematic figure in his world of dancers, cabaret actors, musicians and prostitutes, but she was also one of the artist’s closest friends. Their friendship is reflected in a series of remarkable portraits in which the star is shown as a private individual, contrasting with her exotic poster image and performances at the Moulin Rouge.
Centered around The Courtauld’s painting Jane Avril in the Entrance to the Moulin Rouge, this exhibition catalogue brings together an exceptional group of paintings, posters and prints from international collections. It explores the remarkable creative partnership which captured the excitement and spectacle of bohemian Paris.