CANBERRA.- The National Gallery of Australia is presenting Toulouse-Lautrec: Paris & the Moulin Rouge as the summer blockbuster exhibition. This major retrospective brings over 100 paintings, posters and drawings to Australian audiences and launched the Centenary of Canberra celebrations through summer 2012 to autumn 2013.

There is not one comprehensive collection of works by the late nineteenth century French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the National Gallery of Australia secured loans from 30 international collections such as the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, Albi, the Musée d’Orsay, Paris the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York the Courtauld and the Tate, London and the Thyssen Bornemisza, Madrid. Works also have been drawn from the National Gallery of Australia’s own collection of Toulouse-Lautrec prints and posters; the most extensive in Australia, most of which have been acquired recently to be shown for the first time.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s iconic works are extremely rare, given that he died just prior turning 37 and as such are greatly treasured. Toulouse-Lautrec: Paris & the Moulin Rouge provides an extraordinary opportunity for Australians to view more than 100 works, many of which have never been exhibited publicly before. The large scale retrospective is an exceptional event in this country and due to the extremely fragile nature of many of the works it is unlikely such an exhibition will be seen here again for many years.

The three works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the hugely successful Masterpieces from Paris exhibition were some of the most popular, and the artist is widely appreciated by Australians who are familiar with his images of café society, the high and low life of Bohemian Paris and famous dance halls such as the Moulin-Rouge.

‘The National Gallery of Australia is excited to bring together Australia’s first Toulouse-Lautrec retrospective exhibition, showing only in Canberra. Together with our own collection of works, the exhibition provides a comprehensive insight into the artistic life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, through the late 19th century bohemian lifestyle of Paris’, said National Gallery of Australia Director, Ron Radford, AM.

The National Gallery of Australia is grateful to our Presenting Partners, the ACT Government through ACT Tourism and the Australian Government through the International Exhibitions Insurance Program which helps collecting institutions bring significant cultural objects to Australia by providing funding to purchase commercial insurance, and ACTEWAGL.

‘The ACT Government is delighted to partner with the National Gallery of Australia in presenting and promoting this landmark exhibition. It follows the highly successful partnership between the ACT Government and the NGA that brought the recent Renaissance exhibition and Masterpieces from Paris exhibition in 2009 to Canberra’, said ACT Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr MLA.

Tourism is vital to a strong economy and events play a significant role in generating visitors to the Canberra region. This exhibition will not only help attract more visitors to Canberra during our Centenary year in 2013, it will also give locals and visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a unique exhibition’, he said.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their valuable support, Presenting Partner ActewAGL, Principal Partners Nine Entertainment Company and National Australia Bank and our Major Sponsors Qantas and the Yulgilbar Foundation.

‘ActewAGL is again very proud to be working with the National Gallery of Australia as Principal Partner of Toulouse-Lautrec: Paris & the Moulin. This will be the third summer blockbuster exhibition that we’ve been involved in, having previously partnered with the gallery for Degas: master of French art and Ballets Russes: the art of costume.

In the current economic environment, it is important that we continue to deliver social and economic returns for our customers, local businesses and the community. Partnering with such world-class exhibitions will attract tourists to our beautiful capital during summer and boost the local economy.


It is expected that the exhibition will attract significant interstate and international visitation. Toulouse- Lautrec will not travel to any other destination domestically or internationally.

The Gallery once again has timed ticketing which proved very successful during the recent Renaissance exhibition.