At the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (c. 1895)
What we learned-
- Lautrec left his affluent roots to join the more bohemian culture that frequented the Moulin Rouge, finding himself more comfortable with performers and artistic folk (especially since an accident as a child stunted his growth).
- Lautrec turned down offers of money from his parents and even painted on cardboard, which historians are now having difficulty preserving.
- This painting epitomizes Lautrec’s style, which focused on the livelihood of the entertainment culture around him as well as a photographic quality (that of a photo snapped in the middle of a party, with some people’s backs turned and others half out of the frame).
Discussion Questions:
- Why did Lautrec make the color choices he did, especially in the faces of his subjects.
- What is the mood portrayed in the painting?
- Who is the shorter man in the background (walking beside the taller man)?
