Cha-U-Kao was a popular clown of the 1890s at the Nouveau Cirque in what remains a male dominated profession. She was also a contortionist and danced at the Moulin Rouge. Her name is a word play on chaos and a lively cancan related dance called the chahut. She was an out lesbian and one of Lautrec’s favourite sitters, with one print of her (The Seated Clowness- 1896) being his best selling of all time. Astonisingly, she remains a woman of mystery. Her real name is unknown as are her birth and death dates. It is believed that her partner was Gabrielle the Dancer, another performer and model for Toulouse-Lautrec who also appears in his suite of 12 lithographs entitled 'Elles' (1896).