Lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: “La Troupe de Mademoiselle Églantine”

In early 1896, Jane Avril traveled to London as part of the Troupe d’Églantine, to perform at the Palace Theatre. A few days before the Troupe took to the London stage, she commissioned a poster from Lautrec back in Paris to advertise the performances. Lautrec described the quartet as an “apotheosis of the Moulin Rouge”, which may suggest that he saw them perform at the iconic Montmartre club. Lautrec singled out his friend Avril, placing her at the front of the row of women. While her fellow performers appear in an ordered line, their raised legs at a uniform height, Avril’s dance is far freer. Her red hair stands out against her blonde companions.