Not currently on display at the V&A

Moulin Rouge, La Goulue

Poster
1891 (Designed and made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Toulouse-Lautrec's poster of the dancer, 'La Goulue', performing at the Moulin Rouge, is perhaps the most celebrated of all depictions of the famous French cabaret. La Goulue (The Glutton), was the stage name of one of the club's greatest stars, Louise Weber, seen here dancing with her partner, the man silhouetted against the foreground, Valentin le Désossé (Valentin the Boneless). According to legend, he danced 39,962 waltzes, 27,220 quadrilles, 14,966 polkas and mazurkas, and 1,000 lancers for a total of 83,112 performances on the stage of the Moulin Rouge. He never accepted money for his performances, dancing merely for the love of it. The abruptly cropped composition of this poster gives the viewer the impression of being one of the spectators in the crowd, drawn into the action of the dancehall.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMoulin Rouge, La Goulue (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Brief description
Poster, 'Moulin Rouge, La Goulue', Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French; 1891.
Physical description
Depicts interior of a café-concert. A young woman with a blonde top knot dances in the midst of a throng of silhouetted spectators.
Dimensions
  • Height: 151cm
  • Width: 100.9cm
Dimensions taken from: Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Style
Marks and inscriptions
H T Lautrec (Signed, lower left)
Object history
Transferred from the British Museum.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Toulouse-Lautrec's poster of the dancer, 'La Goulue', performing at the Moulin Rouge, is perhaps the most celebrated of all depictions of the famous French cabaret. La Goulue (The Glutton), was the stage name of one of the club's greatest stars, Louise Weber, seen here dancing with her partner, the man silhouetted against the foreground, Valentin le Désossé (Valentin the Boneless). According to legend, he danced 39,962 waltzes, 27,220 quadrilles, 14,966 polkas and mazurkas, and 1,000 lancers for a total of 83,112 performances on the stage of the Moulin Rouge. He never accepted money for his performances, dancing merely for the love of it. The abruptly cropped composition of this poster gives the viewer the impression of being one of the spectators in the crowd, drawn into the action of the dancehall.
Associated objects
Other number
1921-6-14-18 - British Museum number
Collection
Accession number
E.704-2000

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Record createdApril 22, 2003
Record URL
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