Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de (1864-1901)
Au cirque (At the Circus)
1899
Crayon, pastel, and watercolor on wove paper, 25.1 × 35.6 cm
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
Depicted here is a scene from the ballet Papa Chrysantheme performed in 1892 at the Nouveau Cirque in Paris, an establishment renowned for its modern fixtures such as electrical lighting and mechanically operated scenery. For this ballet the central area of the Nouveau Cirque was flooded to produce a lake filled with artificial lotus leaves. The figures in the foreground are dancers dressed in Japanese costumes. Lautrec was among the most innovative draftsmen of the 19th century. His work-whether executed with a brush, pen, crayon, or pencil is characterized by vibrant lines that convey the essence of a subject with the deftest of means. (DIA)