What a Spectacle was Paris: 19th Century French Prints at The Hyde
Toulouse-Lautrec & Company: Prints from the Belle Époque, an exhibition featuring ten lithographs by Toulouse-Lautrec and approximately twenty prints by contemporaries such as Pierre Bonnard, Jules Chéret, Maurice Denis, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Édouard Vuillard, will be on view in The Hyde Collection’s Hoopes Gallery through May 27.
This intimate exhibition of etchings, woodcuts and lithography from the Jan Balet and the Sparling Family collections demonstrates the varied printmaking techniques and styles of the “Belle Epoque”.
The “Belle Epoque”(the beautiful era, 1880-1914) was the period in French history that experienced the formation of the Third French Republic(1870-1940), the French Industrial Revolution, and the modernization of France. An exciting new way of life and opportunity for some, unemployment, poverty, and injustice for others(The Dreyfus Affair). The arts flourished. Impressionism, Post- Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism, all had their origins and fruition during this time. Literature, Music, Dance and Architecture also experienced exciting new forms of expression.
Paris night life was infamous and a new group of entrepreneurs embraced the advant-garde, employing them as entertainers and performers, as well as program, poster and set designers. The goal was to achieve a total spectacle. The Theatre de L’Oeuvre and the Moulin Rouge were just some of these famous theaters.
To promote and support the “Spectacle”, lithography emerged as the reproduction method of choice. The continually changing venues demanded new designs and material. Lithography, unlike woodcuts and etching(which were labor intensive), was a perfect medium for the artist and the style that reflected the exciting new form of entertainment.
Toulouse-Lautrec, a collector and student of Japanese Art, integrated the Japanese approach into his paintings and his graphic art. Bold, flat primary and secondary color, black contour, simplified shapes, and unique perspectives, drawn with an ink stick on a stone surface produced immediate and fresh images. He was an accomplished draftsman and a natural for the medium. His line gesture and compositions were sophisticated and elegant, as well as entertaining and provocative. Toulouse- Lautrec created a style and standard that future artists and craftsmen would emulate.
Jules Cheret developed the technique of printing with 3 separate stones. Black, warm and cool colors printed independently, overlaying each to create a spectrum of color with just three “runs”. He is credited with over 1,000 graphic designs.
Pierre Bonnard, realizing he had to simplify his shapes and compositions, introduced abstract patterns into his work.
Modern artists loved lithography, and those who appreciated the work and the artist began employing them in advertisements (Toulouse- Lautrec’s “Confetti” and “La Chaine Simpson”). They also collaborated on portfolios and catalogs chronicling famous celebrities, entertainers, Parisian night life and even prostitutes. The 1890′s were the golden age of lithography and the prints are as popular (and as collectable) as ever. They would also influence the artist of future styles from Art Nouveau to Pop Art.
The Hyde is located at 161 Warren Street, Glens Falls, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Call 792-1761 for information.
Richard Stout is an artist living and working in Hague
Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. na Toulouse-Lautrec & Co. Maonyesho haya ya karibu ya etchings, woodcuts na lithography kutoka Jan Balet na Sparling Familia makusanyo inaonyesha mbinu mbalimbali printmaking na mitindo ya <unk>Belle Epoque<unk>. "Belle Époque (Mwaka Mzuri, 1880-1914) ilikuwa kipindi katika historia ya Ufaransa ambayo ilipata kuundwa kwa Jamhuri ya Tatu ya Ufaransa (1870-1940), Mapinduzi ya Viwanda ya Ufaransa, na kisasa cha Ufaransa. """ Njia mpya ya kuvutia ya maisha na fursa kwa baadhi, ukosefu wa ajira, umaskini, na ukosefu wa haki kwa wengine (The Dreyfus Affair). Sanaa zilifanikiwa. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, na Cubism, zote zilikuwa na chanzo na matunda yao wakati huu. Fasihi, Muziki, Dansi na Usanifu pia walipata aina mpya za kujieleza. Maisha ya usiku ya Paris yalikuwa na sifa mbaya na kikundi kipya cha wajasiriamali waliwakumbatia waandaaji wa avant-garde, wakiwaajiri kama waigizaji na waigizaji, na pia kama programu, mabango na wabunifu wa seti. Lengo lilikuwa kufanya maonyesho makubwa. Theatre de LOeuvre na Moulin Rouge zilikuwa tu baadhi ya majumba hayo maarufu ya maonyesho. Ili kukuza na kuunga mkono <unk>Spectacle<unk>, lithography ilitokea kama njia ya uzalishaji wa uchaguzi. Maeneo yaliyokuwa yakibadilika-badilika daima yalihitaji miundo na vifaa vipya. Lithography, tofauti na woodcuts na etching (ambayo ilikuwa kazi kubwa), ilikuwa njia kamili kwa msanii na mtindo ambao ulionyesha aina mpya ya burudani. Toulouse-Lautrec, mkusanyaji na mwanafunzi wa Sanaa ya Kijapani, aliunganisha mbinu ya Kijapani katika michoro yake na sanaa yake ya picha. Rangi ya msingi na ya sekondari, rangi nyeusi, maumbo yaliyo rahisi, na mtazamo wa kipekee, uliochorwa kwa kijiti cha wino kwenye uso wa jiwe ulitokeza picha za papo hapo na mpya. Alikuwa mchoraji stadi na alikuwa na ustadi wa kuchora. Ishara zake za mistari na nyimbo zake zilikuwa za hali ya juu na zenye kupendeza, na vilevile zenye kufurahisha na zenye kuchochea. Toulouse- Lautrec aliunda mtindo na kiwango ambacho wasanii na mafundi wa wakati ujao wangetumia. Jules Cheret aliendeleza mbinu ya kuchapisha kwa kutumia mawe matatu tofauti. Rangi nyeusi, joto na baridi kuchapishwa kwa kujitegemea, overlaying kila mmoja kuunda wigo wa rangi na tatu tu <unk>runs<unk>. Anajulikana kwa zaidi ya kazi 1,000 za kuchora. Pierre Bonnard, akitambua kwamba alipaswa kurahisisha maumbo na michoro yake, aliingiza michoro isiyo ya kawaida katika kazi yake. Wasanii wa kisasa walipenda lithography, na wale waliothamini kazi na msanii walianza kuitumia katika matangazo (Toulouse- Lautrec's <unk>Confetti<unk> na <unk>La Chaine Simpson<unk>). Pia walishirikiana kwenye kwingineko na orodha za watu mashuhuri, waigizaji, maisha ya usiku ya Paris na hata makahaba. Katika miaka ya 1890s, lithographs walikuwa maarufu sana na walipata kuuzwa kwa wingi. Pia wangekuwa na uvutano juu ya wasanii wa mitindo ya wakati ujao kutoka Art Nouveau hadi Pop Art. The Hyde iko katika 161-Warren Street, Glens Falls, na ni wazi Jumatano hadi Jumamosi kutoka 10am hadi 5pm na Jumapili kutoka saa 12 hadi 5pm. Piga simu 792-1761 kwa habari zaidi. Richard Stout ni msanii anayeishi na kufanya kazi huko Hague