COOPERSTOWN, NY.- The
Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is showing an exhibition featuring the work of famous French painter and illustrator, Toulouse-Lautrec. The exhibit, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in Bohemian Paris, on view May 28 through September 5, includes rare examples of Lautrecs large original posters, letters, prints, and drawings, which were largely inspired by both everyday life and the entertainment world of late 19th century bohemian Paris. The items are from the collection of the Herakleidon Museum, Athens, Greece.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is most famous for his posters depicting the nightlife of Paris, many of which advertised cabarets, theaters, and performers. In addition to his signature posters, the exhibit includes Toulouse-Lautrecs sketches and prints of his friends, family, and peers. His images captured the imagination of his contemporaries and generations to follow, and helped define the end of the 19th century period and what is known as "La Belle Epoque." They remain a testimony to his artistic acumen and his enduring art.
The exhibition also incorporates costumes from many of the Metropolitan Operas productions of La bohème Puccinis unforgettable tale of love, youth, and tragic loss during La Belle Epoque. With more than 1,200 performances, La bohème is the most frequently staged opera at the Met. This impressive supplement to the exhibit reaffirms the Fenimores ongoing collaboration with the Glimmerglass Festival and sheds light on their summer production of La bohème.
The summer season at Fenimore also features several other must-see exhibitions by renowned artists including Ansel Adams: Early Works (through September 18, 2016), The Perfection of Harmony: The Art of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Featuring Lithographs from the Steven Block Collection at the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky (May 28 October 2, 2016), and All the Worlds a Stage: Scott McKowen Shakespeare Theatre Posters (June 17 September 5, 2016).