Henri DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901) Head of a Woman, circa 1893 Pencil on paper Stamped with the red monogram lower left 19 x 11 cm Provenance: Private collection, Brussels Bibliography: Dortu M. G., Toulouse-Lautrec et son oeuvre, tome V, Collectors Editions, New York, 1971, p.576 (D.3.472), p.577 (reproduced) Exhibition: Rennes, "Toulouse-Lautrec et son milieu familial", Musée des Beaux-Arts, February-March 1963, no. 58 This portrait is very probably of Elsa la Viennoise, an emblematic figure of Belle Époque Paris. She was one of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's muses. A dancer and model, she was originally from Vienna, hence her nickname, and frequented the cabarets and brothels of bohemian Montmartre. Her elegant allure, bun and expressive eyes captured Lautrec's imagination, and he depicted her several times in his works. Fascinated by marginal figures and Parisian night owls, he found Elsa a source of inspiration. He immortalised her grace and mystery, revealing both her beauty and a certain melancholy characteristic of the wandering souls of fin-de-siècle Paris. Elsa's portraits bear witness to the unique atmosphere of the cabarets in which she moved. Little is known about Elsa la Viennoise, but her image remains engraved in art history thanks to the works of Lautrec. She embodies the era of freedom, festivity and decadence that made Montmartre such a hotbed of artistic and nightlife.