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Dimensions: measurements 25 5/8 by 23 5/8 in. alternate measurements 65 by 60 cm
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Provenance: Mademoiselle A. DiéterlePrivate Collection, LondonPrivate Collection, Amsterdam (by 1940)Private Collection, Los AngelesMarlborough Gallery, LondonOlive, Lady Baillie, Leeds Castle (acquired from the above on July 18, 1953)Acquired by descent from the above by the present owner
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Literature: Albert Guinon, "Bals masqués," Paris illustré, Paris, March 3, 1888, illustrated p. 150Gustave Coquiot, Lautrec, ou quinze ans de moeurs parisiennes, 1885-1900, Paris, 1921, illustrated p. 25Alexander Brook, "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec," The Arts, New York, September 1923, illustrated p. 163 (titled At the Moulin-Rouge)Maurice Joyant, Lautrec I, Paris, 1926, p. 264, illustrated p. 73M. G. Dortu, Toulouse-Lautrec, Paris, 1952, illustrated p. 4Francis Jourdain & Jean Adhémar, Toulouse-Lautrec, 1952, illustrated p. 18Douglas Cooper, H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, London, 1955, p. 38Henri Perruchot, La vie de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paris, 1958, discussed in footnote on p. 207M.G. Dortu, Toulouse-Lautrec et son oeuvre, vol. II, New York, 1971, no. P.301, illustrated p. 137 (catalogued as grisaille on canvas)Giorgio Caproni & G.M. Sugana, L'Opera completa di Toulouse-Lautrec, Milan, 1969, no. 207a, illustrated p. 100
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Notes: PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE BRITISH COLLECTION
As a chronicler of the café culture and the night life in turn-of-the-century Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec had no rivals. Born into an aristocratic French family in 1864, Lautrec spent much of his life among the Parisian demi-monde, revealing his genius in sharp, analytical portrayals of the twilight world of the fin-de-siècle Paris. A brilliant interpreter of this lively and debauched world, Lautrec did not limit himself - as so many of his contemporaries had done - to social critique. Whether it was the quick sketch of a face, the curving lines of a group of dancers, a scene in a café, at the Théâtre des Variétés or in a maison close, he succeeded in capturing the timeless humanity that lay beneath the illusory façades of his subjects. The present picture, painted in 1888, is a perfect rendering of the spirit of the times at one of these decadent modern affairs. This lively oil was painted in gray scale so that it could be widely reproduced to illustrate Albert Guinon's article Bal masqué, which was published in the Paris illustré on March 10, 1888. Guinon describes the atmosphere of the costume balls at the Opéra, where the mystery behind the masks allows socially acceptable flirtations among members of high-society (fig. 1). Lautrec captures that very atmosphere in this picture, using his keen draftsmanship to render the subtle nuances of interaction among the crowd. As one of the most talented draftsman working in Paris during the time, Lautrec provided illustrations for several periodicals of his day, and Paris illustré was one of the publications that featured his work. The crispness of detail in the present composition evidences his talent in this regard, and the picture exemplifies how his expertise as a draftsman translates seamlessly through the media of oil. Bal masqué is the most complete and detailed of three versions of this subject that Lautrec painted at the time. The other two paintings are located in a private collection in France and in the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi. Lautrec's use of grisaille for this picture enhances the impact of his composition. While the tonal gradation allows the picture to be easily reproduced in printed media, it also lends itself to exploring the dynamics of spatial perspective. The intimate interactions of the group in the foreground and the activity of the people in the background are rendered with equal emphasis, but the impact of both scenes are not lost on the viewer. Like his colleague Degas who reveled in studying the social interactions of modern life (fig. 2), Lautrec focuses on the flirtatious relationship of the characters in the foreground. This focus on seduction was a recurrent theme in Lautrec's best work, particularly in his famous cabaret and brothel scenes that showed the darker side of the demi-monde (fig. 3). It has been suggested in a 1958 discussion of the present work that some of the characters featured here are well known figures such as Renée Vert, Adolphe Albert, La Goulue and Claudon.
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