Secondary school worksheet Toulouse-Lautrec: Paris and the Moulin Rouge National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 14 December 2012 – 2 April 2013 The art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) reveals the colourful society of bohemian Paris in the late nineteenth century. Born into wealth and privilege, Toulouse-Lautrec distanced himself from his aristocratic roots and became absorbed by the more decadent aspects of modern urban life, especially in the famous entertainment precinct of Montmartre. The artist’s work is populated by a cast of creative and alluring personalities from the cafes, cabarets, brothels and streets of the city. His was a world of bars, bedrooms and backstages that was both glamorous and occasionally vulgar and bleak. Toulouse-Lautrec turned a sharp, satirical eye to Parisian nightlife but also depicted many moments of solitude and quiet reflection where people are sensitively and sympathetically portrayed. The human figure was central to his work. Toulouse-Lautrec’s talent for drawing also resulted in many striking and commercially successful posters and prints. Despite a short career, which ended with his death at the age of 36, Toulouse-Lautrec was a productive and highly influential artist. The National Gallery of Australia’s large-scale retrospective features more than 100 paintings, posters, prints and drawings drawn from 31 public and private collections around the world. Emile Bernard 1885–86 oil on canvas, 54 x 44.5 cm Tate, London, bequeathed by Arthur Jeffress, 1961. Digital image © Tate, London 2011 Artist Emile Bernard was 18 years old when this portrait was painted by his friend Toulouse-Lautrec. He looks intense and focused, every bit the determined young art student, although he was later expelled from art school for his unorthodox theories about colour. This portrait is in a traditional format but painted with a soft touch and filled with natural light, hinting at the influence of the Impressionists on Toulouse-Lautrec. How does this painting relate to other portraits in the exhibition? Discuss its formal qualities (the visual elements such as line, colour and texture) and compare and contrast them to a later portrait in the exhibition. Louis Pascal 1891 oil on cardboard, 77 x 53 cm Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, gift Countess A de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1922 A wealthy and handsome cousin of the artist, Louis Pascal was a true flâneur—an urbane, fashionable gentleman who strolled the boulevards of modern Paris, observing and being observed. Despite his well-cut clothes and fine grooming, he has a slightly bored and vacant expression. What can you discover about Toulouse-Lautrec’s own life that might have made him critical of his cousin? Research where the word ‘flâneur’ comes from. What was happening in the city of Paris at the time that encouraged this type of leisure activity? The toilette (Combing her hair) 1891 oil on cardboard, 58 x 46 cm The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, bequeathed by Frank Hindley Smith, 1939 Toulouse-Lautrec was renowned for creating unconventional portraits in which subjects were depicted from unusual angles or with their faces concealed. Here, he painted an anonymous woman from behind in an intimate domestic moment. List some of the different ways in which Toulouse-Lautrec depicted women. Do you think he reinforces female stereotypes, or does he avoid them? Explain your answer. Secondary school worksheet La Goulue entering the Moulin Rouge 1892 oil on cardboard, 79.4 x 59 cm The Museum of Modern Art, New York, gift of Mrs David M Levy Digital image © 2012 The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence La Goulue (The Glutton) was a celebrated dancer at the Moulin Rouge, a famous Montmartre music hall. This painting shows her at the peak of her career. It displays Toulouse-Lautrec’s skill at creating authentic crowd scenes, balanced with close attention to the subtleties of individual characters. Look closely at the expression on La Goulue’s face. What emotions do you see portrayed? Is it a flattering portrait? Researching the life of La Goulue may be helpful. The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge 1892 brush and spatter lithograph, printed in six colours, 46.5 x 36.6 cm Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, David Murray Bequest Fund, 1949 Colour lithographs were popular with private collectors in the late nineteenth century, and this scene of socialites at the Moulin Rouge was particularly fashionable. Toulouse-Lautrec was strongly influenced by Japanese prints, with their cropped, decorative compositions, bright areas of solid colour and subjects drawn from theatres, brothels and nightclubs. Describe the interaction taking place here. Who are the characters? How does Toulouse-Lautrec’s technique give the scene an almost comical appearance? Aristide Bruant, in his cabaret 1893 brush and spatter lithograph, printed in four colours, 128.3 x 96.5 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, purchased 1945 This dramatic portrait depicts cabaret singer and comedian Aristide Bruant, and is the initial study for a poster. Swathed in a grand black cape, Bruant is an imposing, romantic figure. The influence of Japanese woodcut prints is clear as the singer’s profile has been reduced to just a few elegant shapes and lines. What are the qualities of a poster that make it different to other media? Why do you think this was such an effective promotional image for Aristide Bruant? The seated clown (Mademoiselle Cha-u-ka-o) 1896 crayon, brush and spatter lithograph, printed in five colours, 52.8 x 40.6 cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1977 Like La Goulue, Mademoiselle Cha-u-ka-o has an air of resignation and melancholy in this portrait, which is part of a series of prints showing mundane activities from the daily lives of working-class women. She is waiting to perform at a masked ball. Toulouse-Lautrec’s portraits tend to be truthful but not idealised, and the recurring theme of physical decline in his art echoed his own deteriorating health. How do Toulouse-Lautrec’s portraits challenge our assumptions about the glamour and excitement of the performing arts, especially at establishments like the Moulin Rouge? Secondary school worksheet Woman seated on a sofa 1897 oil on cardboard, 63 x 48 cm Neue Pinakothek, Munich, donated in 1912 by Eduard Arnhold and Robert von Mendelssohn in the context of the Tschudi Contribution Toulouse-Lautrec had a particular fondness for red-headed models, who appear in many of his portraits. This image reveals his extraordinary talent for drawing and his uncanny ability to communicate the sitter’s personality and subtleties of mood with simple and expressive linework. Find some other works in the exhibition in which Toulouse-Lautrec has left the paper or canvas exposed. What do these works of art have in common? What effect does this loose brushwork have on the final image? Jane Avril 1899 brush lithograph, printed in four colours, 56 x 29.8 cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, The Poynton Bequest, 2011 The dancer Jane Avril was one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s great friends and supporters and they enjoyed an enduring creative partnership, with portraits of Avril featuring repeatedly in his art. In this poster, the dancer is depicted in a highly decorative style, with sinuous lines that emphasise her willowy figure and spectacular costume. Innovations in lithography meant that images such as these were easily and affordably reproduced for enthusiasts and collectors. How is a lithograph made? Research and describe the lithographic process used at the end of the nineteenth century. What other printmaking techniques have been used to create works in the exhibition? Tête-à-tête supper (In a private room—At the ’Rat Mort’) c 1899 oil on canvas, 55.1 x 46 cm The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London Lucy Jourdan, a high-class prostitute, is pictured here with a client in a private room. Deep, glowing colours, dramatic shadows and the odd angle of the faces give the situation a rich theatrical appearance. Where does this composition place the viewer in relation to the scene? What is the effect of the unusual cropping and figure placement and how does it make you feel about what is taking place?.