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

Description

Cha-u-ka-o sits on a red bench with widely placed black-stockinged legs, a yellow bodice and white collar giving her costume strong accents. Two figures occupy the left background. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec gives the clown and dancer a quiet offstage presence, allowing the named performer to become a particular person at rest rather than only a public persona in action.

The 1896 lithograph belongs to Elles and combines crayon, brush, spatter and scraping in five colors on wove paper. The bright bodice and collar contrast with the widely placed stockings, giving the seated figure a memorable shape. Toulouse-Lautrec retains the performer’s distinctive costume while shifting attention away from her act, allowing the bench and relaxed position to establish a different kind of presence.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec collection.