Yvette Guilbert 1893

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured Yvette Guilbert with swift strokes of lithographic crayon. Observe the stark profile, punctuated by a prominent nose and the dark blot of her boa. The boa constrictor, often of feathers, coils about her neck. Snakes in art are an ancient symbol. This could allude to temptation, danger, and sexuality; consider Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a recurring motif in art history. Here, the boa, divorced from literal depictions, embodies a woman's sensuality. It evokes the powerful emotions and subconscious associations viewers have with such primal symbols. But is it more literal? As it has resurfaced, this image of the performer is suggestive of vanity, and also suggests an elegant sophistication, in its cyclical dance through time.