Thursday, February 9, 2017

Toulouse - Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque




The Phillips Collection
February 4 through April 30,  2017 
 
 In a  special  exhibition opening o n February 4 ,  The Phillips Collection presents an extraordinary selection of  Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec’s  iconic and rare printed work s from  nearly the entire period of  his  lithographic career ( 1891 – 1899 ) . An  inaugural collaboration with  the Montreal Museum of Fine  Arts (MMFA),  Toulouse - Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque assembles, for the first time in the United States, close to 100  defining  images of late 19th - century Montmartre , drawn  from  one of the  leading collections of  prints and posters by  Toulouse - Lautrec .

The son of a wealthy noble family  from Albi, France, Henri de  Toulouse - Lautrec (1864 – 1901) is best known for capturing the heart of Parisian nightlife in dynamic cabaret and dance hall  scenes inspired by the city’s burgeoning entertainment district .  After training with academic painters in Paris, he established a  studio in bohemian Montmartre and was regularly seen at livelyhot spots like the Chat Noir, the Mirliton, and the Moulin  Rouge. His impressions of  these  local amusements fashioned a  portrait of modern life.  Toulouse - Lautrec’s  arrival in  Paris also  coincided with both  revival and innovation in the technology of color lithography .  

The sheer scale of the poste s plastered  around the city transformed Paris  nto an open air exhibition, while limited - edition lithographs and print albums designed for the home catered to collectors.  

This exhibition highlights Toulouse - Lautrec’s  embrace of printmaking and his experiments with the medium that revolutionized the field.

“I am delighted for the Phillips to exhibit such a rich collection of printed works by Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec, who forever changed and shaped the art of lithography,”  said Director Dorothy Kosinski.  “This  is a rare opportunity to see such a large colle tion that captures a defining moment in the artist’s printmaking career on view in the United States.”

Included in the special exhibition at the  Phillips is  Toulouse - Lautrec ’s first  lithograph, the poster  Moulin Rouge , La  Goulue (1891) , which made him an  overnight success. Produced in some  3,000  impressions,  the poster’s massive scale,  fragmented forms, compressed pictorial  space, and range of colors broke new  ground . By presenting this significant work  alongside  a unique trial proof in black and  white , the exhibition provid es a glimpse  into the artist’s highly involved  pr intmaking  process . Other special features  on view  include never - before - published trial  proofs , unique  images , and rare prints  displayed with richly colored final  impressions.

Many of the  poster s were commissioned by famous performers  like Jane Avril,  May  Belfort , Aristide Bruant, and  May Milton . The se  personalities,  among others, are brought to life through  Toulouse - Lautrec’s perceptive skills of observation and caricature. By maximizing the impact of just a few details, their celebrity was immortalized in these masterful works that caught the public’s  
attention.

“This show is special because it not only features an impressive number of familiar images, but by  displaying trial proofs, it also  offers visitors a behind - the - scenes look at the genius of Toulouse - Lautrec’s prints.”  said Renée Maurer,  Associate Curator at the Phillips .

“Having attracted 145, 000 visitors to the Montreal Museum of  Fine Arts, the exhibition  Toulouse - Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque was a great success, one that I hope our partners from The Phillips Collection will also enjoy in this first collaboration, thanks to an exceptional collection ,” said Nathalie Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts . “ The Paris of the belle époque is paraded before our eyes. What a privilege to be able to exhibit these rarely shown unique posters by Toulouse - Lautrec .”

The exhibition also includes additional works by Toulouse - Lautrec’s contemporaries, such as



Théophile Alexandre Steinlen’s famous poster Tournée du Chat Noir ( 1896 ) and

 

Louis Anquetin’s never-before-exhibited painting  Inside Bruant’s Mirliton ( 1886 – 1887 ) Oil on  canvas ,  57 1⁄16 × 61 13⁄16 in .  Private collection.  

Once considered lost, with only preliminary drawings as evidence of its existence, Anquetin’s large painting  invites viewers inside  Aristide Bruant’s lively cabaret the Mirliton, where Toulouse - Lautrec, Bruant, and Émile Bernard watch entertainer La Goulue perform.

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION AND TOULOUSE - LAUTREC

During his lifetime, museum founder Duncan Phillips acquired four works on paper by Toulouse - Lautrec.  His first purchase made in 1927 was the lithograph Miss May Belfort ( large plate ) (1895) .  In 1939,  Phillips presented  the museum’s only  previous  exhibition of Toulouse - Lautrec’s art, containing 55 works  (drawings, prints, and paintings)  sourced from the Art Institute of Chicago and private  collections.  Toulouse - Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque marks  the first solo showing of the artist’s work at the  Phillips in nearly 80 years.  As a complement to  the exhibition, an installation of work by Toulouse - Lautrec’s contemporaries  and inspiration will be on view in nearby permanent collection galleries.



Images in the Exhibition:



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  Moulin Rouge, La Goulue , 1891. Brush and spatter lithograph, printed in four colors.  Key stone printed in black, color stones in yellow, red, and  blue on three sheets of wove paper, 75 3⁄16 × 46 1⁄6 in.  Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  The Englishman at the Moulin  Rouge , 1892. Brush and spatter lithograph, printed in six  or seven colors. Key stone printed in olive green, color  stones in  aubergine, blue, red, yellow , and black on wove  paper. State II/II, 21 × 14 3⁄4 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  Ambassadeurs, Aristide  Bruant , 1892. Brush and spatter lithograph, printed in five  colors. Key stone printed in olive green, color stones in  orange, red, blue and black on two sheets of wove paper ,  52 15⁄16 × 36 5⁄8 in. Private collection







Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , Divan Japonais , 1892 – 93.  Crayon, brush, spatter, and transferred screen lithograph,  printed in four colors. Key stone printed in olive green,  color stones in black, yellow, and red on wove paper, 31  3/4 × 23 15⁄16 in. Private collection 



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , Cover for  L’Estampe originale,  1893. Brush and spatter lithograph, printed in six c olors.  Key stone printed in olive green, color stones in beige,  salmon red, red, yellow, and black on wove paper. Only  state, 22 1/4 × 25 11⁄16 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  Jane Avril ,  1893 . Brush and  spatter lithograph, key stone printed in olive green on  wove paper .  Trial proof, 47 9⁄16 × 33 7⁄8 in. Private  collection  



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  Jane Avril , 1893. Brush and  spatter lithograph, printed in five colors. Key stone  printed in olive green, color stones in yellow, orange, red , and black on wove paper, 48 13⁄16 × 36 in. Private  collection


 

Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec,  At the Ambassadeurs, Singer  at the Café - Concert ,  1894 .  Crayon, brush and spatter  lithograph, printed in six colors. Key stone printed in olive  green, color st ones in yellow, beige - gray, salmon pink,  black , and blue on wove paper .  Only state ,  12 × 9  3/4  in . 



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec ,  The Box with the Gilded Mask ,  about 1894. Crayon, brush , and spatter lithograph with  scraper, printed i n five colors. Key stone printed in olive  green, color stones in red or brown - red, yellow, gray - beige, and black - olive green or black on imitation Japan  paper. Only state, 14 5⁄8 × 12 7⁄8 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec ,  Mademoiselle Marcelle  Lender, Half - length ,  1895. Crayon, brush , and spatter  lithograph, printed in eight colors. Key stone printed in  olive green, color stones in yellow, red, dark pink,  turquoise - green, blue, gray , and yellow - green on wove  paper. State IV/IV, 12 15⁄16 × 9 5⁄8 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec ,  May Belfort ,  1895.  Crayon,  brush, and spatter lithograph , printed in five colors. K ey  stone printed in olive green, color stones in red , black,  gray , and yellow on wove paper, 31 5⁄16 × 24 in. Private  collection  



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec ,  May Milton ,  1895. Crayon,  brush, spatter, and transferred screen lithograph, printed  in five colors. Key stone printed in olive green, color  stones in blue, red, yellow, and black on wove paper, 31  5⁄16 × 24 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , Mademoiselle Églantine’s  Troupe ,  1895 – 96.  Brush, spatter, and crayon l ithograph,  printed in three colors. Key stone printed in turquoise,  color stones in red and yellow on wove paper, 24 5⁄16 ×  31 5⁄8 in. Private collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , The Photographer Sescau , 1896.  Brush, crayon, and spatter lithograph , printed in five  colors. Key stone printed in blue, color stones in red,  yellow , and green on wove paper, remarque in black, 23  7⁄8 × 31 ½ in. Private Collection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec ,  The Simpson Chain ,  1896 .  Brush, c rayon,  and spatter  lithograph , printed in three  colors. Key stone printed in blue, color stones in red and  yellow on wove paper ,  32 5⁄8 × 47  1/4  in. Private  Collection Toulouse - Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque February 4 – April 30, 2017  



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , The Jockey ,  1899 .  Crayon ,  brush, and spatter lithograph, printed in  six colors. Key  stone printed in black, color stones in turquoise - green,  red, brown, gray - beige and blue on China paper .  State  II /II ,  20  3 / 8 × 14  1/4 in .  Private c ollection



Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec , Jane Avril ,  1899 .  Brush  lithograph, printed in four colors from three stones . Key  stone printed in black,  one color stone in red, one in  yellow and  blue on wove paper , 22 1⁄16 × 14 15⁄16 in.  Private collection