About this artwork
During his popular cabaret performances, Aristide Bruant adopted the role of a social outsider who regularly criticized upper-class society and commented on current events with biting humor. Despite its antiestablishment reputation, Bruant’s cabaret, Le Mirliton, attracted patrons from a wide variety of backgrounds—even upper-class Parisians, who came expecting Bruant to openly ridicule them during and after the shows.
In 1892 Bruant commissioned Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to design a poster advertising his performances at the upscale Ambassadeurs and Eldorado clubs. The artist created an iconic portrait of the singer that reduced his likeness to its most memorable elements: a wide-brimmed hat, black cloak, and bright-red scarf. Over time Toulouse-Lautrec reused and adapted this unmistakable image in many different designs to publicize Bruant’s shows at Le Mirliton.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
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Title
- Eldorado: Aristide Bruant
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Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1892
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Medium
- Color lithograph on tan wove paper
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Dimensions
- Image: 137.5 × 96.4 cm (54 3/16 × 38 in.); Sheet, sight: 145.2 × 98.7 cm (57 3/16 × 38 7/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison Collection
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Reference Number
- 1949.1024
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/67194/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
