TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, Henri de
(b. 1864, Albi, d. 1901, Château Malromé, Langon)

The Seated Clown Cha-U-Kao

1896
Colour litograph, 53 x 40 cm
The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

Lautrec passionately admired Cha-U-Kao, a nude dancer, acrobat and clown, who pretended to be Japanese. He painted numerous pictures of her in all kinds of costumes, instigating various special fancy-dress events at the Moulin Rouge for this purpose.