Jane Avril

This dramatic poster shows the famous cabaret dancer Jane Avril (1868—1943) in the midst of her high-kicking performance. Her dynamic dancing style earned her the nickname of La Mélinite, a recently discovered explosive. In the foreground, the head of a bass player is profiled as is the neck of his instrument, which is drawn out into a sinuous border. Toulouse-Lautrec heightened the impact of his composition by the use of strong outlines and areas of flat color including shades of green, orange, yellow, black and a touch of red on the dancer's lips. Avril was a favorite model of Toulouse-Lautrec.