The art museum revisits Toulouse-Lautrec's world

As we embark on the 21st century, the art museum at Princeton University urges us to look back and remember the '90s — the 1890s, that is. The latest show from the University's rich collection is a group of lithographs by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ranging in scale from intimate prints to bold street posters, all from the late 19th century.

The exhibit is titled "Life at the Fin de Siecle: Lithographs of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec," and according to the show's coordinators, Calvin Brown and Betsy Rosasco, there's no time like now to see it.

"A lot of museums are thinking about [Toulouse-Lautrec]. He's on a lot of people's minds right now," Rosasco said. Shows of Toulouse-Lautrec's work are currently on display at museums around the world, reflecting not only the artist's popularity, but also the timely relevance of his work.

"It lends an interest, a poignancy to the way you look at it," Brown said, explaining the turn-of-the-century parallel. "It makes the imagery charged, and gives you an extra reading."

The work is indeed charged, resonating with the energy of Toulouse-Lautrec's racy haunts, the bars and nightclubs of Montmartre. One of the artist's favorite models, the dancer Jane Avril, is featured in a few of the posters with her signature chapeau and high-hitched skirt.

Other elements — such as the limited color scheme, loose but deliberate composition and sardonic sense of humor — mark these pieces as classic Toulouse-Lautrec.

The smaller lithographs, in shades of black and white, depict the artist's friends in casual moments, and show off Toulouse-Lautrec's fine drawing skills.

Brown stressed that the collection of works is not intended to be "the last word on Toulouse-Lautrec. It's just a showing of what we own." But that is what makes the collection all the more remarkable, because the lithographs come together to form a cohesive group.

Toulouse-Lautrec's influence on the next generation of artists — the pioneers of modern art, including Pablo Picasso and many others — is undisputed in the art world, and the power and eloquence of his work can be felt in this sampling.

The timing of the show is noteworthy not only because of the centennial theme, but also because it coincides with the anniversary of the advent of the lithograph. Toulouse-Lautrec was a master of this art form, which involves rendering an image on a flat surface, and treating it to retain ink, while the non-image areas are treated to repel it.

Lithography was a popular medium in the 19th century because it allowed freedom of expression and enabled artists to produce fine art in mass quantity. The fact that lithographs were reproducable was especially important for the large advertising posters which are so characteristic of Lautrec's artistic body of work.

The brightly colored posters advertising the entertainers at popular Parisian night spots are instantly recognizable as the inspiration not only for 20th-century art, but for much of 20th-century advertising.

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The University is exceedingly fortunate in its endowments, and this collection is a testament to the museum's riches. All of the lithographs in this show are part of the museum's collection of drawings, but cannot be on permanent display because they are sensitive to light. They must therefore be exhibited in cycles.

This particular collection has been displayed only twice in the past 20 years, so Rosasco and Brown felt that the timing was perfect for a show.

"Life at the Fin de Siecle: Lithographs of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec" will be on display through Sunday, and it is certainly worth the visit. The likelihood of this display being shown again during an undergraduate's academic career is incredibly slim.

So take a moment to relish these treasures of the art museum during their brief time in the light, before they go into hibernation and the unique glow cast by the newness of the century fades away.