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Yvette Guilbert: French Singer and Muse of Toulouse-Lautrec

cultural-heritage · 2026-03-25

Yvette Guilbert (1865-1944) was a French singer, actress, and writer who performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris during the Belle Époque. She was known for her innovative 'patter-songs' featuring spoken monologues and distinctive black gloves. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created numerous portraits of her between 1894 and 1899, dedicating his second album of portraits to her. Guilbert later founded a singing school in Brussels, wrote about the Belle Époque, and received the Legion of Honour in 1932 for promoting French song.

Key facts

  • Yvette Guilbert was a French singer and actress born in Paris in 1865.
  • She performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris starting in 1890.
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created portraits of her from 1894 to 1899.
  • Guilbert was known for 'patter-songs' with spoken monologues and black gloves.
  • She received the Legion of Honour in 1932 and died in Aix-en-Provence in 1944.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Moulin Rouge
  • Printemps

Locations

  • Paris
  • Aix-en-Provence
  • Brussels

Sources