The Seated Clowness (Mademoiselle Cha-u-ka-o) (from the series Elles)

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant underworld of 1890s Paris, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the essence of performers like Mademoiselle Cha-u-ka, a celebrated Japanese clowns at the Moulin Rouge circus, in *The Seated ClownessMademoiselle Cha-u-ka)* from his *Elles* series (1896). This poignant lithograph portrays her in a moment of quiet repose amid the glitz of cabaret life, highlighting Lautrec's fascination with the marginalized women of the Belle Époque—clowns, dancers, and courtesans—who embodied the city's bohemian spirit. Printed in five colors using innovative crayon, brush, spatter, and scraper techniques on wove paper, the work showcases Lautrec's Post-Impressionist mastery of lithography. As a collaborative effort with publisher Gustave Pellet (noted in the watermark), it represents a pinnacle of color lithographic printing, blending bold outlines with subtle textures to convey emotional depth and immediacy. The only state of this edition makes it a rare gem. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this print underscores Lautrec's role in elevating popular entertainers to high art, offering a window into fin-de-siècle cultural shifts toward celebrating the unconventional. Visitors will appreciate how it humanizes Cha-u-ka-o's weary grace, bridging circus spectacle and intimate portraiture.

About the Artist

Gustave Pellet|Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French|French) · 1859 |1864 –1919 |1901

French, Paris 1859–1919 Paris|French, Albi 1864–1901 Saint-André-du-Bois