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May Milton

1895
(French, 1864–1901)
France, 19th century
color lithograph
Sheet: 79.5 x 61.5 cm (31 5/16 x 24 3/16 in.)
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1952.10
Catalogue raisonné: Wittrock Vol.II.P17,b ; Delteil 356
State: D. II/II
Location: not on view
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Did You Know?

May Milton was the romantic partner of May Belfort, another performer whom Toulouse-Lautrec frequently depicted.

Description

Posters grew in popularity after 1881, when many restrictions on their placement were lifted and it became unlawful to remove or destroy them. The first exhibition of posters took place in 1884, and they were soon accepted as a legitimate art form. Lautrec, a gifted draftsman, excelled at designing arresting lithographs. May Milton, one of his boldest compositions, illustrates Lautrec's innovative style based on a dynamic pattern of flat, simplified, brightly colored shapes and dramatic silhouettes. Lautrec, an astute observer of character and physical features, captured the life of a decadent era in his radically concise, vigorous representations. May Milton was an English dancer who appeared at the Moulin Rouge, one of Paris's most popular café-concerts. This poster was made to advertise her tour of the United States.
May Milton

May Milton

1895

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

(French, 1864–1901)
France, 19th century

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