Bust of Mlle. Marcelle Lender

Fascinated by the actress Marcelle Lender (1862-1926), Toulouse-Lautrec saw her performance in the comic opera Chilpéric more than twenty times. In choosing a bust-length pose and focusing on Lender's face as she performs a characteristic role, Toulouse-Lautrec modeled his work on Japanese Kabuki actor prints.