Cabaret Interior with Cha-U-Kao
Unknown artist; after Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
A later painted homage to Toulouse-Lautrec's cabaret imagery, centered on the clown-dancer Cha-U-Kao and including a figure apparently representing Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Museum Identification
Curator & Research
Curator Notes
The painting caught the Curator's eye because of his interest in Toulouse-Lautrec art and its ability to strengthen the Museum's small Toulouse-Lautrec grouping. The Curator considers the work a beautiful hand-painted complement to the two Toulouse-Lautrec lithographic works already held by BlazerQuest.
Acquisition Story
Acquired from a young man who had previously acquired the painting at an estate sale. The acquisition was made with the Supreme Commissioner of Available Floorspace present, satisfying both the established floorspace treaty and Supreme Commissioner approval objectives.
Provenance
Estate sale → prior owner → BlazerQuest Virtual Museum Curator.
Research Notes
The painting is not attributed to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It is cataloged as a later work after Toulouse-Lautrec. Visual examination of the supplied photographs is consistent with oil paint on stretched canvas. The central figure is modeled on Cha-U-Kao imagery associated with Toulouse-Lautrec; the male figure at left is cataloged cautiously as apparently representing Toulouse-Lautrec. Canvas dimensions are 29½ × 19⅝ inches, per handwritten verso notation.
Appraisal & Authentication
Appraisal
Preliminary FMV $250–$500Insurance / replacement estimate: $600–$900.
The appraisal reflects the work itself and is independent of private acquisition terms retained in the Curator’s non-public records.
COA / Authentication
No certificate of authenticity or artist documentation is presently recorded. Original photographs and verso documentation are maintained with the Museum record.
Collector Inquiry
If interested in acquiring this artwork, contact Museum Curator:
Bob Blaser
(602) 918-4290
bblaser28@gmail.com
An inquiry does not imply that the artwork is currently offered for sale. Availability and acquisition terms are determined by the Museum Curator.
Documentation Images
Confidence & Gaps
Museum Record
High confidence: hand-painted canvas, dimensions as recorded on verso, and purchase history supplied by Curator. Moderate confidence: oil medium based on visual evidence. Unknown: artist identity, exact date, earlier estate provenance, and whether the left-hand figure was intentionally intended as a portrait of Toulouse-Lautrec.