Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge has been published to accompany an exhibition held at The Courtauld Gallery, London, during summer 2011. The publication is edited by Nancy Ireson, curator of the exhibition. The catalogue, featuring essays by Ireson and Anna Gruetzner Robins, is published by The Courtauld Gallery in association with Paul Holberton Publishing.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril – a Special Relationship
Nancy Ireson takes as her starting point a comment by the critic Arsène Alexandre. In 1893, writing in L'Art Français in an article (reproduced in this publication) titled Celle qui danse (She who dances), Alexandre drew attention to the special relationship between Avril and Lautrec. He said, “Painter and model, together, have created a true art of our time, one through movement, one through representation” (Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril, p. 11).
Toulouse-Lautrec produced a large group of advertising posters to publicise Jane Avril as a star of the Moulin Rouge, capturing the excitement of Montmartre in the 1890s. During the course of their friendship, Lautrec also produced a group of oil paintings showing the private person, away from the limelight.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge – Layout of the Publication
Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril... is set out in two main sections. The first features essays by Nancy Ireson and Anna Gruetzner Robins, and the second contains the Catalogue of the exhibition.
In her essay, Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril, Nancy Ireson introduces the main characters. Their backgrounds could not have been more different: Lautrec was born into the French aristocracy, and Avril was the daughter of a courtesan.
However, they had much in common: Both rose to fame because of their unique appearance. Lautrec's legs were stunted due to two separate childhood accidents, and Avril was diagnosed with Chorea, a nervous disorder characterised by jerky movements and contractions, known popularly as “St Vitus's dance.”
In a second essay, Dancing in the Asile: Jane Avril and Chorea, Ireson explores life, treatments, and attitudes to mental and physical illness at the Salpêtrière hospital where Avril was a patient. The author looks at Lautrec's fascination with medicine, as well as Avril's attitude to her own disorder and treatment.
Anna Gruetzner Robins, in her essay titled J'arrive de London: Jane Avril and Britain, discusses Avril and Lautrec's visits to London. Jane Avril made two visits to London, the first in 1893, and again in 1896. Lautrec's work was popular with British collectors during his lifetime. Gruetzner Robins explores some of the connections between Lautrec's London acquaintances, such as Oscar Wilde and Max Beerbohm, and Avril's friends, such as May Milton, a music-hall performer.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril – The Catalogue
The second part of the publication is the exhibition catalogue, providing a permanent record of every item on display. Each work is accompanied by a scholarly description of the subject matter in the context of Lautrec and Avril's relationship. A detailed provenance of each item has been compiled by Marie-Amélie Tharaud. The reader experience is enhanced by language that is neither technical nor complex, and the book will appeal to all readers.
Available from The Courtauld Gallery, Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge, is priced at £25 ISBN: 978 1 907372 247.
Source:
- Ireson, N., Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge, The Courtauld Gallery/Paul Holberton Publishing, London, 2011
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
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