Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition opens at the Museo degli Innocenti
Installation view.
FLORENCE.—
Today, Florence steps into the intoxicating world of late-19th-century Paris as the Museo degli Innocenti unveils its much-anticipated exhibition “Toulouse-Lautrec: A Journey into the Paris of the Belle Époque.” Running from now through February 22, 2026, the show promises to transport visitors into the heart of Montmartre’s cafes, cabarets, and boulevards, where art, nightlife, and social change collided in dazzling fashion.
A Parisian Nightlife Reborn in Florence
Walking into the Museo degli Innocenti today, one is struck not by the austere calm of a typical art gallery, but by a lively, theatrical atmosphere. Period furnishings, archival objects, and evocative lighting set the mood: this is Paris, 1880–1900, not Renaissance Florence. The curators have spared no detail in creating a sensory immersion.
At the center of the exhibition lie over 100 iconic works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — among them Jane Avril (1893), Troupe de Mademoiselle Églantine (1896), and Aristide Bruant in His Cabaret (1893) — courtesy of major loans including from the Wolfgang Krohn Collection and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi.
But the exhibition extends beyond a single artist. Visitors will also find pieces by Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret, Georges de Feure, and others — underscoring how the Belle Époque’s aesthetic overflowed into poster art, interior design, and daily life.
More Than Art: A Cultural Time Machine
One of the exhibition’s greatest strengths is how it frames Lautrec within his era. It emphasizes the technical and social revolutions of the time: the rise of lithography in full color, the influence of Japanese prints, the emergence of Art Nouveau (or Modern Style), and the shifting boundaries between advertisement and art.
In the galleries, paradisiacal posters of café-concerts rub shoulders with sketch studies, press illustrations, and intimate portraits. A dedicated section explores Elles — Lautrec’s series of lithographs depicting women in Montmartre’s closed houses — in a quietly powerful way, not sensationalized but humanized.
Another section focuses on his later circus drawings, created when his health and mental state were failing — works that reveal how art became a kind of lifeline for him.
There is also space dedicated to the nightlife itself: the artists, dancers, chansonniers, and café societies that populated Montmartre’s shadowy corners. Lautrec did not stand above these worlds — he lived among them, and his portraits reflect that intimacy.
Why Florence, Why Now?
It may seem fitting — or audacious — to stage a Paris exhibition in Florence, a city world-famous for its Renaissance legacy. But the invitation here is to look sideways: not back to the past, but outward to a different modernity. In giving over its halls to the Belle Époque, Florence opens itself to dialogue between eras, art forms, and social worlds.
Moreover, Florence’s position in the art-tourism circuit makes it a potent venue to attract not just local visitors but international audiences seeking a fresh, cross-cultural experience.
The exhibition is organized by Arthemisia in collaboration with Museo degli Innocenti and others, curated by Dr. Jürgen Doppelstein, with Gabriele Accornero managing the Wolfgang Krohn Collection.
What to See and When
The show is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (with last entry an hour before closing). Standard tickets are €18, with reduced rates for students, seniors, groups, and other categories.
Because the exhibition draws on fragile works, lighting and timing are carefully controlled. Visitors are encouraged to move steadily through the galleries, allowing space for moments of reflection in quieter alcoves.
One standout moment is the Jane Avril lithograph: the swirling contours of the dancer’s train and the confident tilt of her posture reflect both elegance and raw energy. Another is the Aristide Bruant in His Cabaret poster, in which a single silhouette with bold color commands the room.
But more than any single piece, the power lies in juxtaposition: a poster next to its preparatory sketch; a mundane café scene beside a flamboyant theatrical poster; a shadowy interior beside vibrant street imagery.
A Cultural Invitation
By opening today, “Toulouse-Lautrec: A Journey into the Paris of the Belle Époque” invites Florence — and the world beyond — to wander through a Paris of light and dusk, of glamour and grit, of art turned public spectacle. It reminds us that an era’s visual language can carry voices, dreams, contradictions — and that sometimes, cross-pollinating past and present leads to fresh insight.
For those in Florence or planning to visit: this is not just an exhibition, but a chance to live, if briefly, in the dance of Montmartre’s streets. Would you like me to extract a short version suitable for a newspaper front page or a social media push?
