Art Museum!
Dan and I went to the art museum yesterday to see the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit again. (Henry was recovering from a sore throat, so he stayed home).
Hm, I thought for sure I wrote a blog post about this exhibit (I’ve seen it three times now) but I can’t find one, so I guess I only imagined writing it.
Our museum owns a complete collection of Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters (as well as other works) but they are so fragile that they are stored safely off-exhibit most of the time. The last time they were displayed here was back in the 80s, I believe. So this is a really rare chance to see them all. The exhibit was supposed to end on December 12th, but it was extended to December 31, thank goodness!
I really like Toulouse-Lautrec’s work. It’s so hard to say why, though. I guess I find his art to be exhilarating! I like his colors, I like his shapes, I like his perspective, I like the energy and freedom in his lines, which seem to me to portray movement but not agitation. There are a couple of pen-and-ink sketches in the exhibit which just knock me out every time I look at them — a group of racehorses jumping a hurdle, and a view of some street performers. They’re just brilliant. So few lines, so much meaning. I’m also extremely fond of the six or eight different posters and portraits old Aristide Bruant. What a guy! Here he is:
