CMA exhibition features the art of Toulouse-Lautrec

The Columbia Museum of Art presents the one-gallery exhibition Toulouse-Lautrec Works on Paper Featuring the Robbie Barnett and Kathy Olson Collection, on view through December 4, 2016. This exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into the artistic spirit of the great 19th-century artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.Born an aristocrat, Toulouse-Lautrec created art that was inseparable from his rakish lifestyle. His career lasted just over a decade and coincided with two major developments in late 19th-century Paris: the birth of modern printmaking and the explosion of nightlife culture.

“Lautrec’s posters promoted Montmartre entertainers as celebrities and elevated the popular medium of the advertising lithograph to the realm of high art,” says Will South, chief curator. “His paintings of dancehall performers and prostitutes are personal and humanistic, revealing the sadness and humor hidden beneath rice powder and gaslights.”

The exhibition consists of eight works on paper- a favorite medium of the artist’s- the majority of which come courtesy of collectors Robbie Barnett and Kathy Olsen. Lithographs from lender Dr. Anna Griswold and the CMA collection round out the show.

“The museum is excited to present this special installation, thanks to the inspiration and generosity of longtime patrons Robbie Barnett and Kathy Olson, who brought their love of Lautrec to our museum,” says Karen Brosius, executive director. “By lending their collection to the CMA, we can show signature work by an artist of international renown.”