Weber painted Burlesque #1 in 1909, the year he returned to New York from his four-year stay in Paris. He was fascinated with vaudeville, a modern form of entertainment popular in theaters across the country. Vaudeville shows presented a variety of acts, from comedy sketches to musical acts to burlesque dance. Instead of creating a realistic depiction of a performance, Weber captured the entertainers’ dynamic energy through rough brushstrokes and angular shapes.