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Jane Avril (1868-1943) was a dancer, singer and actress. Her father was an Italian nobleman, while her mother was from the demi-monde and died mentally deranged. At first she worked as a cashier at the Hippodrome, then as a horserider. Finally she was allowed to perform the quadrille with La Goulue at the Moulin Rouge. The dance made her so well-known that she was able to perform in the best venues of Paris from then on. Her greatest triumphs came in the years 1890-94 at the Jardin de Paris. and at the Folies Bergère. She still had great successes after 1900 in the French provinces and on tour in America. She spent the last ten years of her life penniless in an almshouse.
Jane Avril was friendly with many artists and had a particularly close friendship with Lautrec, whose pictures she greatly admired. He gave her many of his works, all of which, however, she gave to her lovers over the years.
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