The artwork “The Clownesse Cha-u-Kao at the Moulin Rouge” was painted by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1895. Executed in oil, it is a genre painting within the Post-Impressionist movement. The artwork measures 64 by 49 cm and is currently housed in the Musée d’Orsay, located in Paris, France.
In this artwork, we observe a female performer, Cha-u-Kao, a clownesse known for her work at the famed Moulin Rouge. The artist captures her not in the midst of a performance but in a quiet, introspective moment. Her back is towards the viewer, revealing the curvature of her spine and the musculature of her back. She sits draped in a vibrant, canary-yellow costume with extravagant ruffles, which contrasts against her pale skin. The reckless abandon of fabric suggests the movement and liveliness associated with her profession, yet her pose and the still life around her convey stillness and a sense of solitary repose.
The use of color and light in the artwork is distinct and serves to highlight the two-dimensional aspect of the canvas while still giving an impression of texture and depth. The background is minimalistic, with vertical brush strokes in cool tones that draw the eye to the figure at the center. Her dynamic energy is captured through bold brushwork and the stark contrasts between light and shadow, which are emblematic of Toulouse-Lautrec’s stylistic approach and his fascination with the night-life of Parisian entertainment venues.
