Emilienne d'Alençon Rehearsing at the Folies-Bergère, from Le Café-Concert 1893

Henri-Gabriel Ibels captured this lithograph titled "Emilienne d'Alençon Rehearsing at the Folies-Bergère, from Le Café-Concert." Ibels' work encapsulates the vibrant, yet complex world of Parisian café-concerts, a microcosm of late 19th-century society. These spaces were pivotal in shaping modern female identities and public personas, and often became stages for the negotiation of gender, class, and sexuality. Here, we see Emilienne d'Alençon, a celebrated figure, rehearsing, her presence subtly challenging the traditional representations of women in art. The lithograph offers a glimpse into the lives of the performers, and the behind-the-scenes labor that went into the spectacle. Ibels invites us to consider the energy, the ambition, and the human stories embedded in Parisian nightlife.