Portret van zangeres Marcelle Lender terwijl zij de boléro danst in de opera Chilpéric 1895

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured this image of the singer Marcelle Lender dancing the bolero in the opera Chilpéric, using lithography. Lautrec, working in fin-de-siècle Paris, often depicted performers like Lender, figures who both embodied and challenged the social norms of the time. Consider the cultural context: popular entertainment was a space where gender roles were often exaggerated and scrutinized. Lender, as a performer, had a certain power, commanding attention and shaping perceptions. This image, however, isn't just a straightforward representation. It's also about the gaze, about how women were seen and how they presented themselves. Lautrec's print invites us to reflect on the complexities of performance, identity, and representation at a pivotal moment in history. How does Lender use her position to challenge, or perhaps reinforce, societal expectations?