The Moulin Rouge, which opened in 1889, is located in the Montmartre district of Paris. It became a world-renowned cabaret and the birthplace of the modern can-can dance. As a vibrant beacon of Parisian nightlife, the Moulin Rouge attracted people from all walks of life. Regardless of social class, everyone could find joy and excitement within its walls. The cabaret was a multifaceted venue, with a dance hall, gallery, outdoor garden, bars, and even a fortune teller offering life advice from time to time. Its atmosphere was one of indulgence and pleasure, like a year-round Christmas tree—beautiful, luxurious, fantastical, yet real.
Known as “The Soul of Montmartre”, Lautrec began creating a series of artworks and posters inspired by the Moulin Rouge shortly after its opening. At the “La Danse au Moulin - Rouge”, completed in 1890, is the second painting in this series. Unlike the promotional posters, this work is an oil painting on canvas. Purchased by the Moulin Rouge’s owner, it was proudly displayed above the bar. Currently housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this painting stands out in Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge series due to its distinctive green color palette, which creates an almost surreal effect. The painting depicts a lady in pink, whose noble attire suggests she is out of place in this lively venue. Her profile shows her gaze lowered, and her graceful yet slightly stiff posture contrasts with the lively dancers on the floor. A couple in the dance hall appears to be waltzing, while the lady’s pink dress, the female dancer’s red stockings, and the red coat of the waitress visible in the top left corner form a diagonal line. The vertical columns in the background and the tree-branch- shaped hanging lights add warmth to the overall green tones, with varying shades of green creating depth and dimension. The bright, light-colored dance floor captures the viewer’s attention, and the bold contrast between red and green creates a striking visual dynamic, as if the yellowish light and the bustling crowds of the era were unfolding right before our eyes.
Carved into the back of the painting is a line of text: “The instruction of the new ones by Valentine the Boneless”. Lautrec did not depict a typical scene at the Moulin Rouge, but rather a specific moment involving people he knew well. Valentin le Désossé (Valentine the Boneless), a renowned dancer famous for his flexibility, is the male figure opposite the female dancer. The can-can was initially performed by men because it required significant muscular endurance and physical strength before evolving into a dance dominated by women. Valentine is seen here instructing La Goulue (real name Louise Weber), the first female star of the Moulin Rouge, who was still a trainee at the time. In the top right corner, a white-bearded figure at the bar is believed to be the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, and nearby, another man wearing a hat is thought to be the owner of the Moulin Rouge. Some art critics also believe the grayish, skull-like face in the background is that of Lautrec's father. There are even differing theories that the white-bearded figure could be the father, the side-profile figure may be Yeats, and the skull-like face was simply a spontaneous detail by the artist. What do you think?
Regardless of the truth behind these identities, At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance continues to offer a vivid, romanticized glimpse into Parisian nightlife at the time.
