Au cirque; Entrèe en piste 1899

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's *Au cirque; Entrèe en piste* (1899) captures a poignant moment of a female performer at the circus. Rendered in charcoal and pastel on paper, the drawing is a stark but powerful example of Lautrec's signature style, using bold lines and muted colors to depict the subject. The performer's elegant pose in a voluminous blue dress, with a white horse following behind, evokes the elegance of the circus, but the overall composition is somewhat melancholic. This is characteristic of Lautrec's work, which often explored the hidden lives of Parisian society, including those in the world of entertainment.