Cha-U-Kao was a French entertainer who performed at the

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Oly ...

and the

Nouveau Cirque Contemporary circus (also known as new circus, and ''nouveau cirque'' and ''cirque contemporain'' in French-speaking countries) is a genre of performing arts developed in the late 20th century in which a story or theme is conveyed through tradit ...

in the 1890s. Her stage name was also the name of a boisterous popular dance, similar to the can-can, which came from the French words "chahut", meaning "noise" and "chaos". She was depicted in a series of paintings by

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the l ...

. Cha-U-Kao soon became one of his favorite models. The artist was fascinated by this woman who dared to choose the classic male profession of clowning and was not afraid to openly declare that she was a lesbian. Little is known about her life, including her real name, though she was a gymnast before she worked as a Parisian female

clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...

or "clownesse." During her time as a gymnast, Maurice Guilbert photographed her, capturing her younger self that contrasted with Toulouse-Lautrec's later depictions. Her clown performances included a "distinctive black-and-yellow costume with her hair piled up on her head Toulouse-Lautrec sometimes sketched Cha-u-Kao with her partner, and these sketches would be included in his portfolio "Elles." It is believed that her partner was Gabrielle the Dancer, another performer and model for Toulouse-Lautrec. In 1979, art historian Naomi Maurer identified Cha-U-Kao in the artist's work as part of an exhibit at the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mil ...

. (The exhibit ran in the fall of that year.) File:Lautrec_Cha-U-Kao_lith.jpg, ''The Seated Clowness'' by

File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 036.jpg, ''La Clownesse Cha-U-Ka-O im Moulin Rouge'' File:Lautrec the clownesse cha-u-kao at the moulin rouge ii 1895.jpg, ''The clownesse cha-u-kao at the Moulin Rouge'' File:Entrée de Cha-u-Kao, from Le Rire, No. 67, 15 February 1896 MET DP835488.jpg, Entrée de Cha-u-Kao, from Le Rire, No. 67, 15 February 1896 File:Brooklyn Museum - Entree de Cha-u-Kao from La Rire - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.jpg, ''Entree de Cha-U-Kao'' File:Affiche met aankondiging van gemaskerd bal in Casino van Parijs met portretten van Cha-u-kao en Yvette Guilbert Les Redoutes du Casino de Paris, RP-P-1949-623.jpg, Poster for masked ball in Paris Casino with portraits of Cha-u-kao and Yvette Guilbert Les Redoutes du Casino de Paris

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cha-U-Kao Acrobats French clowns French artists' models French female dancers Contortionists French LGBT entertainers Paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Year of birth missing Year of death missing Moulin Rouge 19th-century French women 19th-century circus performers

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