Elles was an album of twelve prints commissioned by Gustave Pellet and published in an edition of 100 in April 1896. It was luxuriously produced on special paper watermarked with Lautrec’s and Pellet’s names, and each composition was printed to the edges of the sheet, an unusual and attractive presentation. The subject of the album, prostitutes, was geared toward male customers, but it was financially unsuccessful. The first plate in the album, a print of the clowness Cha-u-Kao, depicts a moment of respite from the crowds and the bustling activity of the Parisian nightlife.