Extended: Toulouse-Lautrec and Photography
Toulouse-Lautrec and Photography
The public’s response to the exhibition Toulouse Lautrec and Photography at the Kunstmuseum Bern is truly phenomenal. Despite a large number of lenders, the museum has succeeded in extending the exhibition duration until January 3, 2016, in a slightly modified form and thus gives further visitors the chance of viewing it too. The show zeroes in on the interaction between photography and the artistic oeuvre of the French painter, draftsman, and printmaker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 - 1901). It is the first exhibition to juxtapose the work of this world-famous artist with photographs of the fin de siècle.
Since late August 2015, the exhibition Toulouse Lautrec and Photography has been on show at the Kunstmuseum Bern, focusing on the interaction between photography and the artistic oeuvre of the French painter, draftsman, and printmaker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 - 1901). The exhibition has been a great hit among the general public, committing the museum to organizing its extension. So, despite a large number of lenders, the Kunstmuseum Bern has succeeded in extending the duration of the exhibition; it will now remain open until January 3, 2016, in a slightly modified form and give further visitors the opportunity to come and view it too.
On the occasion of
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s 150th birthday
We remember Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec in art history for his portrayals of Parisian nightlife. No
artist captured the vibrant ambience of the fin de siècle as he did: the
singers and dancers at the entertainment venue Moulin Rouge, life in the
brothels, scenes of Parisian theaters, the daring feats of circus performers,
the jockeys on their noble racehorses, the alcoholics haunting the bars at
night, the exhausted prostitutes after work. The exhibition was mounted at the
Kunstmuseum Bern on the occasion of the artist’s 150th birthday.
A focus on the
interaction between photography and painting, drawings, or prints
Hitherto no exhibition
has addressed the topic of Toulouse-Lautrec and photography. This show in Bern is
pioneer in its confrontation of the work of the internationally famous artist
and fin de siecle photography. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec did not take pictures
himself, but again and again had himself as well as his models photographed by
others. Above all, he was endowed with a photographic eye practically unrivaled
by other artists of the age. This is evidenced not only by his matter-of-fact
representations of Paris’s red-light district Montmartre, but also by steep
perspectives and daring, unusual compositions. The exhibition Toulouse Lautrec and Photography
juxtaposes paintings, drawings, lithographs, and posters by this
internationally renowned artist with photographs of the time, which he often
used as models and inspiration. A comprehensive and richly illustrated
catalogue replete with the latest research on the artist provides an
informative supplement to the exhibition.
Contact Person: Michèle Thüring, , T +41 31 328 09 19
Images: Marie Louise Suter, , T +41 31 328 09 53
