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Moulin Rouge, La Goulue

Poster
1891 (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: 1950mm
  • Width: 1225mm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
H T Lautrec (Signed, lower left)
Credit line
Given by Mrs J.T. Clarke
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
Bibliographic references
  • Coutts, Howard and Claire Jones Toulouse Lautrec and the art of the French Poster. Bowes Museum, 2004. 53 p., ill. ISBN 0954818202.
  • pp. 34-5 Hannah Brocklehurst and Frances Fowle. Pin-ups : Toulouse-Lautrec and the art of celebrity. Edinburgh : National Galleries of Scotland, 2018. 120 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 30 x 17 cm. ISBN: 9781911054214
Collection
Accession number
E.223-1921

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Record createdJune 14, 2007
Record URL
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