Artwork
La Goulue
La Goulue is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
She’s La Goulue, the famous Moulin Rouge dancer, caught mid-twirl by Toulouse-Lautrec’s sharp eye.
This print shows a woman dancing, her skirt flying up in a blur. You can almost hear the music and crowd noise behind her. She’s La Goulue, the famous Moulin Rouge dancer, caught mid-twirl by Toulouse-Lautrec’s sharp eye.
Lautrec made this in 1894 as a poster ad. He used bold colors and rough lines to grab attention fast—lithography lets him do that.
Want to see how he did it? Look up lithography.
Overview
La Goulue is a 1894 lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, rendered in olive green on velin paper. The print captures a dynamic moment of La Goulue, a renowned Moulin Rouge dancer, mid-twirl with her skirt in motion.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, La Goulue, embodies the vibrant, decadent culture of late 19th-century Parisian nightlife, a theme central to Toulouse-Lautrec's oeuvre. The work conveys the energy and spectacle of cabaret performances.
Technique & Style
Executed in bold, olive green hues with rough lines, the lithograph leverages the medium's capabilities to achieve immediate visual impact, characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec's poster designs.
History & Provenance
Created in 1894 as an advertisement for the Moulin Rouge, this lithograph is part of Toulouse-Lautrec's body of work inspired by his observations of Paris's theatrical nightlife.
Context
Emerging from Toulouse-Lautrec's fascination with the theatrical underbelly of Paris, La Goulue reflects the artist's immersion in the city's decadent, late 19th-century cultural scene.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (French: ), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator.
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Eventail (pour le bal Gavarni) (Fan (for the Gavarni Ball))
Lender Dancing the Bolero in "Chilperic" (Lender dansant le pas du boléro dans "Chilpéric")
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Untitled
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Why Not?...Once Is Not a Habit (Pourquoi pas?...Une fois n'est pas coutume)
Promenade (Promenoir)