May Belfort Bowing (Miss May Belfort saluant)

Created by drawing directly onto a lithographic stone, the work bears the rapid, gestural lines characteristic of Toulouse-Lautrec’s sketchy approach. The loose rendering of hair, dress, and feline form conveys immediacy, while the limited palette typical of lithographs emphasizes contrast over color.

Toulouse-Lautrec, born into French aristocracy in 1864, produced the print during a prolific period of documenting Parisian nightlife. The lithograph entered the market shortly after its creation, circulating among collectors of the artist’s prints and later appearing in several museum exhibitions of his work.

May Belfort, an American expatriate who performed in Parisian cafés and cabarets, was a frequent subject for artists drawn to the city’s entertainment districts. Toulouse-Lautrec’s focus on such figures aligns with his broader aim to capture the vibrancy and marginality of the urban nocturnal scene.

The print remains a representative example of how lithography enabled Toulouse-Lautrec to quickly record the dynamic personalities of his era. Its depiction of a performer with a pet underscores the blending of personal and public personas that defined the cultural milieu of fin‑de‑siècle Paris.