Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

La Troupe de Mademoiselle Églantine embodies the aesthetic for which Lautrec was best known and exemplifies the personalities of his most beloved subject: the dancing girl. Four women executing a variation of the can-can were a popular attraction on the Parisian stage, and the present work was developed with the input of its subjects. Églantine Demay and Jane Avril had strong opinions about the wording and the order of each entertainer’s billing, as dictated in their January 1896 letter to the artist. It was not unusual for Lautrec to allow his feelings for the performer, or their thoughts on how they were portrayed, to influence the final composition.