This poster celebrated the opening of a new cabaret with Jane Avril as the star attraction. One of the most exaggerated of Lautrec’s compositions, it owes much to the art of the Japanese woodcut in its large flat areas, abrupt color divisions and violent perspective.

JANE AVRIL AT THE JARDIN DE PARIS (1893)
Oil on Canvas

Here Avril is a caricature, all angular gesture and movement. In the lower right-hand corner there is an even more distorted figure, that of a cellist, his head half-hidden by his hand grasping the fingerboard of the cello. The curvilinear neck of this instrument, which is extended to frame the dancer’s action, reflects the Art Nouveau style popular at the time. The figure of Avril is further emphasized by the red-orange, yellow and black of her costume, which are in vivid contrast to the monochromatic dark green that surrounds her.

Lautrec’s posters created a stir when they first appeared, prompting local authorities to paste religious scenes over them. This action assured their instant notoriety and success. Thus, good art attracted the public’s attention at every corner kiosk.