A series of Jane Avril prints, namely Jane Avril (Jardin de Paris) (1893), shows French dancer Jane Avril, recognized by her feathered hat. A favored subject in Lautrec’s lithographs, she was reputed for her sensuous movements and contortions. She also lived an impoverished life, but rose to stardom at the Moulin Rouge. Thanks to Lautrec’s lavish illustrations of her, Avril’s stature in society was elevated.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril (Jardin de Paris), 1893, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

Avril is seen as well as the lady in black in the audience in Divan Japonais (1893), another famous Lautrec masterpiece. She sits next to Édouard Dujardin, French writer, while Yvette Guilbert, cabaret singer and actress of the Belle Epoque, disguises her cut face, but reveals her lanky figure and signature long, black gloves. The work is emblematic of the many café concerts in the late 19th century Paris.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Yvette Guilbert, couverture, 1894, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

Lautrec’s prime fascination for the theatre and clubs evolved around performers like Guilbert, who was regarded queen of the café concert. She also became one of the artist’s longtime muses, and a visible favorite in many of his posters. Yvette Guilbert, couverture (1894) was published in 1894, and written by Gustave Geffroy who described the café concert as entertainment for the poor working class. Lautrec, however, emphasized the “presence” of details in his subjects, in this case, Guilbert’s black gloves.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, May Milton, 1895, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

A room in the fourth section of the exhibit is dedicated to Lautrec’s exemplary line drawings, as a declaration of the “absence” of color. Immensely influenced by Edgar Dégas and Hokusai, the artist mastered the principles of drawing with charcoal. The monochrome lithograph May Milton (1895) may suggest a lack of hue vibrancy, but the rich line rendition is nevertheless, highly expressive.