Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901)
The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge, 1892
Lithograph printed in black, green, gray, blue, orange-red, and yellow on cream laid paper
Sheet: 23 1/2 x 18 1/16 in. (59.7 x 45.9 cm)
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 1968.17
To contemporary viewers, Toulouse-Lautrec’s inclusion of recognizable figures in his scenes of famous Parisian nightspots added another level of interest. The cropping of the image enhances the sense of immediacy by bringing the viewer into the conversation between the two protagonists. The man’s inclined posture and leering expression make clear the nature of their exchange.