The lesbian prostitutes of the brothels warmly accepted Toulouse-Lautrec into their humble abode. He was given behind-the-scenes access to the lifestyles of these misunderstood women. The artist became very close to them as he celebrated their birthdays, gave them presents, and watched them get dressed. 
The lesbians were very fond of him because he treated them with respect unlike other men. Toulouse-Lautrec made sure that all the girls received much attention from him, as he would constantly tease and chat with them. (Néret 136) According to Néret, in Toulouse-Lautrec’s art he shows how they console each other and there is nothing “ambiguous” about their secret love. (Néret 136) However, from my paper’s argument, I do believe that Toulouse-Lautrec does express some ambivalence about the relevance of the relationships.
Toulouse-Lautrec’s personal relationships with these individual lesbians of the works discussed in my exhibit are not well known, but was very close with two famous prostitutes - Louise Weber (better known as La Goulue) and Jane Avril - whose homosexuality was not widely known at that time. His posters of them were well-publicized and attracted many to the Moulin Rouge. Toulouse-Lautrec was first interested in La Goulue’s quirky personality. 
La Goulue (left) was described as being “short, pink-cheeked, baby faced, plump.” (Bouret 90) She was famous for her low-cut dresses, ability to empty glasses on tables, enormous appetite, and incredible dance skills. Many men were after her, but she was preferred the companionship of women. (van Casselaer 59) She often walked around with a goat on a leash, symbolizing her contempt for men. La Goulue decided to live with her girlfriend La Mome Fromage and never got married. Rather than depicting her as a glamorous showgirl, Toulouse-Lautrec drew her as being old and ugly. He was attempting to show her greedy and arrogant character in a more physical sense. (Sweetman 267)
Toulouse-Lautrec soon lost interest in the La Goulue and soon had his eyes on Jane Avril (right) - this time in a more attractive sense. She was pretty and intelligent, and Toulouse-Lautrec even had the luck of sleeping with her. (Bouret 122) He displayed her more lavishly than La Goulue. However, to his disappointment, she denounced his love and had an affair with May Milton. (van Casselaer 58) In the end, she did marry a male, unlike La Goulue. Toulouse-Lautrec portrayed the lesbians La Goulue and Jane Avril in different manners, manners that reflected their different personalities.
Right: “Jane Avril.” Photograph. Wikipedia.com. 12 January 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Weber
Left: “Louise Weber.” Photograph. Wetcanvas.com. 12 January 2006. http://www.wetcanvas.com/Museum/Posters/Entertainers/Avril/