In conjunction with Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris, the Clark is offering a number of public lectures and programs related to the exhibition. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For information, call 413 458 0524
or visit the calendar of events.
Pleasures of Paris Winter Gala
Saturday, January 31, 6:30 pm
Join the party and celebrate the opening of Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris with an evening inspired by the pleasures of Paris. Enjoy French Chardonnay and Merlot and delectable hors d'oeuvres, dancing, live music with a Parisian flair, and an exhibition preview.
$55 ($45 per member); RSVP by January 28 to 413 458 0524 or online.
Wicked Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec Invents the Fin de Siècle
Sunday, February 1, 3:00 pm
S. Hollis Clayson, professor of art history at Northwestern University, will open the exhibition with a provocative lecture on Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the lively milieu in which he cultivated his unforgettable style: Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. Dr. Clayson, a former Clark Fellow and the 2005 Robert Sterling Clark Visiting Professor for the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, has published extensively on diverse aspects of nineteenth-century French art, with a particular focus on Paris.
Click here to watch this fascinating and lively presentation.
On the Town with Toulouse-Lautrec
Sunday, February 22, 3:00 pm
The art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec has long been synonymous with the racy nightlife of fin-de-siècle Paris. His posters, prints, and paintings immortalized the stars and entertainments of the day, and his close personal association with these establishments cinched his reputation as the chronicler par excellence of Parisian pleasures. Join Mary Weaver Chapin, assistant curator of prints and drawings at the Milwaukee Art Museum, as she discusses Toulouse-Lautrec's lifelong engagement with the nightlife of Paris.
The Literary Flaneur: Belle Epoque Paris in the Reading Library of Sterling Clark
Wednesdays, February 4, 11, 18, 25, 7:00 pm
Delve into a selection of books—including some from Sterling Clark's personal collection—focused on Belle Epoque Paris and the cultural milieu in which Toulouse-Lautrec and, later, Sterling Clark participated, during a month-long reading group led by Clark librarians Valerie Krall and Christopher Geissler.
$10 fee for the course. Space is limited. Call 413 458 0524 to register.
"Ooh La La! Montmartre on Film"
Saturdays, 2:00 pm
In connection with the exhibition Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris, this series of films will explore the artist's bohemian environs on Saturday afternoons at 2 pm. Each film portrays the spectacle of his demimonde—the cafés and cabarets, the dancers and denizens who populate the slopes of the "Mount of the Martyr" at the end of the nineteenth century.
- April 4: Moulin Rouge (1952)
- April 11: French Cancan
- April 18: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Sunday, April 19, 12:00 pm
Enjoy the fun and frivolity of nineteenth-century Paris during a free Family Day inspired by the exhibition. Throughout the afternoon, you can make your own chapeau, have your photo taken in elegant Parisian costumes with the streets of Paris as your backdrop, or learn how to dance the cancan. Exhibition curator Sarah Lees will be in the galleries from 1 to 3 to answer questions as you explore nineteenth-century Paris from dance halls to circuses.
This Family Day is supported by funding from the officers and employees of Allen & Company, Inc.
MEMBER EVENTS
Not a member? Learn more and join online, or call 413 458 0585.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris Gallery Talks
Tuesdays, February 10 and March 24, 9:30 am
Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibition with associate curator of European art Sarah Lees on February 10 and curatorial assistant Sarah Hammond on March 24. Space limited; reservations required. RSVP to 413 458 0585.
Montmartre Soiree
Thursday, February 12, 6:00 pm
The sun has set on the Butte Montmartre in Paris and the Moulin Rouge has opened its doors for another night of bohemian debauchery. In the center of artistic Paris, this famous nightspot was the inspiration for Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Danielle Steinmann, assistant curator of education, will discuss popular celebrities that Toulouse-Lautrec immortalized in his posters, drawings, and paintings, such as Jane Avril and Yvette Guilbert. The evening will conclude with a fantastic French bistro-style dinner prepared by chef Steve Wilkinson.
$40 members ($50 guests of members). RSVP to 413 458 0585 by February 7.
