Miss May Belfort Taking a Bow
Medium
Crayon and brush lithograph with scraper printed in dark olive green on wove paper; only state
Dimensions
Image: 14 3/4 × 10 1/4 in. (37.5 × 26 cm) Sheet: 21 5/8 × 14 9/16 in. (54.9 × 37 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1989
Accession Number
1989.1120
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant cabaret culture of 1890s Paris, *Miss May Belfort Taking Bow* (1895) captures a moment of theatrical grace. Primarily associated with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the master of Belle Époque posters, this also credits collaborators Edward Ancourt, André Marty, H. Stern and performer May Belfort herself. Belfort, an chanteuse famous for her sultry songs and Montmartre appearances, is depicted mid-curtsy, embodying the era's fascination with music-hall stars who blurred lines between entertainment and art. Crafted as a crayon and brush lithograph with scraper on wove paper—printed in a striking dark olive green—this monochromatic "only state" exemplifies Lautrec's innovative techniques. The scraper added subtle textures and highlights, mimicking the dim glow of gaslit stages, while lithography allowed bold, mass-produced appeal. At 14 3/4 × 10 1/4 inches, it's a compact yet dynamic advertisement, elevating posters from ephemera to collectible art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Elisha Whittelsey Collection), this work highlights women's prominence in fin-de-siècle nightlife and Lautrec's role in modern graphic design. It invites us to savor Paris's nightlife through Belfort's poised bow—a timeless nod to performance's enduring allure.
About the Artist
Edward Ancourt|Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec|André Marty|H. Stern|May Belfort (French|French) · 1800 |1864 –1899 |1901
French, 19th century|French, Albi 1864–1901 Saint-André-du-Bois