Aristide Bruant, in His Cabaret

During his popular cabaret performances, Aristide Bruant adopted the role of a social outsider who regularly criticized upper-class society and commented on current events with biting humor. Despite its antiestablishment reputation, Bruant’s cabaret, Le Mirliton, attracted patrons from a wide variety of backgrounds—even upper-class Parisians, who came expecting Bruant to openly ridicule them during and after the shows.

In 1892 Bruant commissioned Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to design a poster advertising his performances at the upscale Ambassadeurs and Eldorado clubs. The artist created an iconic portrait of the singer that reduced his likeness to its most memorable elements: a wide-brimmed hat, black cloak, and bright-red scarf. Over time Toulouse-Lautrec reused and adapted this unmistakable image in many different designs to publicize Bruant’s shows at Le Mirliton.