HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901) MAY MILTON. 1895. 31x23 1/4 inches, 78 1/2x59 cm. [Ed. Ancourt, Paris.] Condition B+: minor restoration and overpainting at edges; repaired tears through bottom edge affecting image. A fixture in Montmartre's demimonde, Lautrec loved to attend shows at music halls, and did so tirelessly. With his active imagination and whimsical fantasy he would often fall in love with improbable performers or acts. His attraction to May Belfort, who sang kitschy love songs while holding a cat, resulted in a poster for her. It also produced a poster for her lover, May Milton, an English dancer. It is one of the best examples of Lautrec's brilliant use of blank paper to help create an image. Against the white background, he evokes the perspective of the stage with a few lines, and conveys the dancer's figure in a similar manner. The only real detail is in her face. Against a solid blue background, the composition is a tribute to Ukiyo-e Japanese prints as interpreted by Lautrec's genius. Adriani 134-II, Delteil 336, Reims 786, DFP-II 836, Wember 764, Wittrock P17B, Wine Spectator 45, Weill 50.
![HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901). MAY MILTON. 1895. 31x23 inches, 78x59 cm. [Ed. Ancourt, Paris.]](https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/full//410\689410.jpg)
