Jane Avril in the Entrance to the Moulin Rouge
- Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Date: c. 1892
- Medium: oil on millboard with pastel, laid on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Jane Avril in the Entrance to the Moulin Rouge” by Henri de Toulouse‑Lautrec. The painting captures a moment just before performance, not on stage but arriving at the famed Parisian cabaret. Jane, a star dancer of Le Moulin Rouge, appears bundled in a fur‑collared coat, her long face and gaunt figure emphasized by the piece’s unusually narrow format. A carriage can be seen in the background, hinting at the bustle of late‑nineteenth‑century Paris.
Laid on millboard with pastel and set on a panel, the oil work was completed around 1892, a time when Toulouse‑Lautrec was at the height of his career designing iconic posters for the venue. The painting’s subdued palette and restrained brushwork set it apart from his more vibrant works, offering a quiet, almost wistful glimpse into the life of a celebrated performer before she takes the stage. The subtle use of light draws the viewer’s eye to her poised expression, capturing both her elegance and the underlying tension of a performer’s pre‑performance ritual.
See it in person
Jane Avril in the Entrance to the Moulin Rouge hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
