[French cabaret singer Yvette Guilbert wearing gown and long black gloves; illustration and surrounding text]

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Toulouse-Lautrec drew the singer Yvette Guilbert in her trademark long black gloves and plain gown, a stage look that set her apart from the more flamboyant entertainers of Paris. The lithograph appeared in 1894 in a volume of text by the writer Gustave Geoffrey, published by L'Estampe originale, a venture that brought original prints by several artists to a wider audience. Guilbert performed with little scenery, relying on gesture and expression, and the print's sparse, angular lines capture that economy. Lautrec's work of this period helped define the poster-era graphic style that made Montmartre entertainers famous.

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