At the Moulin Rouge

CC0 Public Domain Designation

1892–95

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864–1901)

Café-concerts were popular venues for drinking and entertainment in late nineteenth-century Paris and attracted the interest of artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The Moulin Rouge, which opened in 1889, was the most famous of the café-concerts, and Toulouse-Lautrec was a habitué of the establishment—he even had a permanently reserved table. His painting Equestrienne (1887–88), now also in the Art Institute’s collection, was acquired by the owner of the nightclub as decoration for the lobby.

At the Moulin Rouge is a cleverly observed group portrait of the (in some cases) infamous customers and entertainers who formed part of the artist’s circle. Standing in the background, the dancer La Goulue arranges her hair. Seated at the table are dancers La Macarona and Jane Avril, as well as photographer Paul Sescau, poet Édouard Dujardin, and vintner Maurice Guibert. Singer May Milton peers out from the right edge of the painting, her face harshly lit and a shocking acid green—the Moulin Rouge was designed to have electric lighting and Toulouse-Lautrec reveled in the artistic possibilities of artificial glare. The artist himself appears in the center background of the painting, a diminutive figure accompanied by his much taller cousin, the physician Gabriel Tapié de Céleyran.

Status: On View, Gallery 242
Department: Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Title: At the Moulin Rouge
Place: France (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1892–1895
Medium: Oil on canvas
Inscriptions: Stamped lower left with monogram
Dimensions: 123 × 141 cm (48 7/16 × 55 1/2 in.); Framed: 136.9 × 154.7 × 8.5 cm (53 7/8 × 60 7/8 × 3 5/16 in.)
Credit Line: Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection
Reference Number: 1928.610
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/61128/manifest.json

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Achille Astre, H. de Toulouse-Lautrec (Nilsson, 1925), p. 75.
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Maurice Joyant, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Peintre (Paris, 1926), vol. I, pp. 137-138 (ill.), 275, vol. II, p. 7 (ill.), 247.
Maurice Joyant, “Toulouse-Lautrec,” L’Art et les Artistes 14 (1927), pp. 159-160.
Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report (1928), ill.
François Fosca, Lautrec, Les Albums d’Art Druet (1928), p. 1, ill.
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Parnassus 9 (November 1937), p. 39 (ill. only)
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J. Rinaldi, Toulouse-Lautrec (Buenos-Aires, 1942).
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The Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Paintings in the Birch Bartlett Memorial from the Birch Bartlett Collection (Chicago, 1946), pp. 46-47 (ill.).
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Douglas Cooper, H. de Toulouse-Lautrec (New York, 1955), p. 97, ill.
Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly 49 (April 1955), p. 30, ill.
Art Institute of Chicago, A Brief Guide to the Collections (Chicago, 1956), p. 36, ill.
P. Courthion, Le gout de notre temps–Montmartre (Lausanne, 1956), p. 63.
Herbert Asmodi, Toulouse-Lautrec–Moulin-Rouge (1956), pl. 30.
Paris Journal (1958), ill.
“Moulin Rouge,” Daily Mail (February 3, 1961), ill.
Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, 1961), p. 454.
Génies et Réalités, Toulouse-Lautrec (1962), pp. 94-95, ill.
Frederick Sweet, “Great Chicago Collectors,” Apollo 84 (September 1966), pp. 196-197 (ill. p. 195, fig. 18).
The WFMT Guide (November 1966), ill.
Rodolfo Palluchini, “L’Art Institute di Chicago,” L’Illustrazione del Medico 33 (February 1966), pp. 14-15, fig. 9.
Otto Dekom, “Chicago: Monument of Volunteer Giving,” Evening Journal (Wilmington Delaware, August 1, 1968), p. 29, ill.
William Gaunt, Impressionism, a visual history (New York and Washington, 1970) p. 260, ill. p. 261, pl. 261.
John Maxon, The Art Institute of Chicago (New York, 1970), p. 96 and 287.
M. G. Dortu, Toulouse-Lautrec et son oeuvre (New York, 1971), vol. II, p. 258-259 (ill.), peinture no. 427.
Der berühmstesten Gemälde der Welt (Bergish-Gladbach, 1976), pp. 172-172, ill.
Richard Thompson, Toulouse-Lautrec (London, 1977), p. 68, ill.
L’opera completa di Toulouse-Lautrec (Milan, 1977), p.106, no. 309, figs. 28-29.
The Art Institute of Chicago: 100 Masterpieces (Chicago, 1978), pp. 118-119, no. 71.
Gale B. Murray, “Review of M. G. Dortu, ‘Toulouse-Lautrec et son oeuvre,’” The Art Bulletin 60 (March 1978), p. 181.
Charles Stuckey, Toulouse-Lautrec: Paintings, exh. cat.(Chicago, 1979), pp. 186-188, no. 52, ill.
Diane Kelder, The Great Book of French Impressionism (New York, 1980) p. 290.
Gale B. Murray, “Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: a checklist of revised dates, 1878-1891,” Gazette des Beaux Arts 95 (February 1980), p. 90.
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Richard R. Brettell, “The Bartletts and the ‘Grand Jatte:’ Collecting Modern Painting in the 1920s,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 12 (1986), pp. 103-113.
Reinhold Heller, “Rediscovering Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s ‘At the Moulin Rouge,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 12 (1986), pp. 115-135 (ill.).
G. M. Sugana, Tout l’Oeuvre peint de Toulouse-Lautrec (Paris, 1986), p. 417.
Richard R. Brettell, Post-Impressionists (Chicago, 1987), p. 45, ill.
Master Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, 1988), p. 70.
Dominique Jarrassé, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa: Entre le mythe et la modernité (Paris, 1991), pl. 42.
Toulouse-Lautrec, exh. cat. (Hayward Gallery, London, 1991-1992), pp. 266-268 (ill.).
James Hall, “Into the limelight: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,” Apollo (December 1991) p. 424, ill.
Lesley Stevenson, H. de Toulouse-Lautrec (London, 1991), pp. 58, ill., 73-74.
Charles Stuckey, French Painting (New York, 1991), p. 193, ill.
Patrick O’Connor, Nightlife of Paris: the art of Toulouse-Lautrec (New York, 1991).
Guggenheim Museum: Thannhauser Collection (New York, 1992), n. p., ill.
Connaissance des Arts, special number on Toulouse-Lautrec (1992), pp. 36-37, ill.
Thomas Parsons, Post-impressionism: the rise of modern art (London, 1992), pp. 57, 72-73, ill.
Gerard Durozoi, Toulouse-Lautrec (London, 1992), pp. 94-95, ill.
Gale B. Murray, Toulouse-Lautrec: A Retrospective (New York, 1992), pl. 70.
Frank Milner, Toulouse-Lautrec (New York, 1992), pp. 92-93, ill.
George H. Hamilton, Painting and Sculpture in Europe, 1880-1940 (New Haven, 1993), pp. 114-115, fig. 54.
Duane Preble, Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts (New York, 1994), p. 40, fig. 564.
H. W. Janson, History of Art (New York, 1994, 5th edition; 1997, revised ed.), p. 752, ill.
Riva Castleman, Toulouse-Lautrec: posters and prints from the collection of Irene and Howard Stein (Atlanta, 1998), p. 92, ill.
David Sweetman, Explosive acts: Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Félix Féneon and the art & anarchy of the fin de siècle (New York, 1999), pp. 282-285 (ill.), 286, 351, 354-355, 357-358, 491.
Helen Gardner, Art Through the Ages (Fort Worth, 2001, eleventh ed.), pp. 914-915, fig. 29-31.
Michael Laclotte, ed., The art and spirit of Paris (New York, 2003), vol. II, pp. 1171-1172, fig, 7.87.
Julia Frey, Toulouse-Lautrec: A Life (London, 1994).
The Age of Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago (New Haven and London, 2008), cat. 62, pp. 132-33 (ill.).
Nancy Ireson, “Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril: Capturing the Moment.” Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril: Beyond the Moulin Rouge, Exh. cat. (The Courtauld Gallery, 2011), p. 11, p. 72-72, cat. 6.
Marilyn McCully, “Picasso’s Discovery of Paris,” Eating Fire: Picasso in Paris 1900-1907 Exh. cat (Van Gogh Museum and Museu Picasso, 2011), p. 25-26, fig. 4.
Musée d’Orsay, Splendeurs & misères, Images de la prostitution, 1850-1910, publisher Flammarion, Paris (Septembre 2015). Cette exposition a étè organisée par le musée d’Orsay, Paris et le Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, front cover detail, [232] p.249: Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge (1928.610), [61] p.109:Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin de la Galette (1933.458), and [100] p. 138-139 Courbet, Mérè Grégoire (1930.78).
Adriano Pedrosa and Luciano Migliaccio, Toulouse-Lautrec em Vermelho [in Red], exh. cat. (Museu de Arte de São Paulo, 2017), p. 118-119, img. 62, 128.
Stéphane Guégan, Toulouse-Lautrec: Résolument modern, exh. cat. (Paris: Musée d’Orsay; RMN – Grand Palaise, 2019), 110, 112-13 cat. 88, 330.
James Rondeau, ed., Paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago: Highlights of the collection (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2025), 94 (ill.).
James Rondeau, ed., Highlights of the Art Institute of Chicago (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2026), 139, 261, no. 102, (ill.).

Possibly, Paris, Les XX, January 1892, as Nocturne [see Murray 1980].
Paris, Boussod et Valadon, 1893 [according to Toulouse-Lautrec 1991-92].
Paris, Le Barc de Boutteville, 7e Exposition des peintures impressionnists et symbolists, July 1894, cat. 84, as Un Coin du Moulin Rouge.
Paris, Salon des Indépendants (March 29-May 5, 1902), not in catalogue [see Heller 1986].
Paris, Galerie Manzi-Joyant, Exposition Retrospective de l’Oeuvre de H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, June-July 1914, cat. 32.
Paris, Galeries Paul Rosenberg, Exposition d’oeuvres de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1914, cat. 19.
Barcelona, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Salon des Artistes Français, 1917, cat. 2038.
The Arts Club of Chicago, Catalogue of an Exhibition of Paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, December 1924-January 1925, cat. 7.
Paris, Grand Palais, Trente ans d’Art Indépendant, 1926, cat. 3253.
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Cent Ans de Peinture Française, April-May 1928.
New York, M. Knoedler & Co., A Century of French Painting, 1928, cat. 34 (ill.).
Art Institute of Chicago, Loan Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, December 23, 1930-January 18, 1931, cat. 19 (ill).
New York, Museum of Modern Art, Tenth Loan Exhibition: Lautrec-Redon, February-March 1931, cat. 19 (ill.).
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Exposition H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, April-May 1931, cat. 92, pl. 5.
The Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, June 1-November 1, 1933, cat. 371, pl. 63.
The Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, June 1-November 1, 1934, cat. 325.
Toledo, Ohio, Museum of Art, French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, November 1934, cat. 22.
Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, A Survey of French Painting, April-May 1936, cat. 33.
Cleveland Museum of Art, Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition, The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition, June-October 1936, cat. 344, pl. 68.
New York, M. Knoedler & Co., Toulouse-Lautrec, Paintings, Drawings, Posters, November-December 1937, cat. 11 (ill.).
New York, Century Club, Post-Impressionist Painting, February-April 1949.
Paris, Musée de l’Orangerie, De David a Toulouse-Lautrec, Chefs d’Oeuvres des Collections Americaines, April-July 1955, cat. 54, pl. 84.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Toulouse-Lautrec (organized with the Albi Museum), October 29-December 11, 1955, cat. 38 (ill.), traveled to The Art Institute of Chicago, January 2-February 15, 1956.
New York, Museum of Modern Art, Toulouse-Lautrec, Paintings, Drawings, Posters and Lithographs, March 20-May 6, 1956, cat. 19 (ill.).
Art Institute of Chicago, Toulouse-Lautrec: Paintings, October 4-December 2, 1979, cat. 52.
London, Hayward Gallery, Toulouse-Lautrec, October 10, 1991-January 19, 1992; Paris, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, February 18-June 1, 1992.
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, , Light: The Industrial Age 1750-1900: Art and Science, Technology and Society, October 2000-February 2001, traveled to Pittsbugh, Carnegie Museum of Art, April-July 2001, no cat. no. (ill.), shown in Pittsburgh only.
National Gallery, Washington, D.C., Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre, March 20-June 12, 2005, cat. 66 (ill.), traveled to The Art Institute of Chicago, July 16-October 10, 2005.
Fort Worth, Tex., Kimbell Museum of Art, The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, June 29–November 2, 2008, cat. 62 (ill.).
London, Courtauld Institute of Art, Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril: Beyond the Moulin Rouge, June 16- September 18, 2011. cat. 6.
Paris, Musée d’Orsay, Splendour and Misery, Images of prostitution in France, 1850-1910 < Splendeurs & misères, Images de la prostitution, 1850-1910> September 21, 2015-June 19, 2016. Please note that Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge (1928.610) was not in Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, same exhibition but title ” Easy Virtue. Prostitution in French Art, 1850-1910, February 19, 2016-June 19, 2016.
Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Toulouse-Lautrec: Resolutely Modern October 9, 2019 – January 27, 2020, cat. 88.
Minneapolis Institute of Art, At The Moulin Rouge, Oct. 12, 2024–Mar. 9, 2025, no cat.

Maurice Joyant, executor of the artist’s estate and co-director of Galerie Manzi-Joyant, Paris, by 1902 [according to Heller 1986]; sold to Manzi [according to Dortu 1971 and Heller 1986]. Jean Laroche, Paris, 1926. Paul Rosenberg [according to Dortu 1971]. Mssrs. Reid & Lefevre, London, June 1928. Frederick Clay Bartlett, Chicago; given to the Art Institute, 1928.

Dortu P. 427

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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