Mia Guides Carol Stoddart and Larry Simon, share their experiences leading lively discussions about At the Moulin Rouge.
At The Moulin Rouge, 1892-1895 • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Oil on canvas • On loan from The Art Institute of Chicago, The Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection
Chatting About At The Moulin Rouge • Carol Stoddart
Combine a talented painter with an interesting life story, one of his best-known paintings, and the friendly and interested people who stop by to look at it, and how could any guide not have fun spending an hour standing in front of At the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec? On top of all those elements, Mia’s curatorial and exhibit design staff set an enticing stage with the entrance to the exhibit, the didactic materials, and the ancillary art objects pulled from our permanent collection to broaden understanding of the artist and the era.
Our visitors almost universally say “yes” when I approach them in the gallery by asking, “I’m here to chat about this painting. Would you like to do that?” Then I launch into the most basic of inquiry questions, along the lines of, “What did you first see when you looked at this painting?” And then we’re off, with the questions flowing depending on what interests them most. Often, while I’m talking to a group, more people will enter the gallery, so I invite them to join us. Everyone is fascinated with the story of how chunks were cut out of the painting after the artist’s death, interested in considering how that would have changed its impact, and curious to find traces of the repair. They also respond well when I ask whether they feel like they’re an outsider looking in or whether they feel part of the scene. They’re pleased when they pick out the artist in the painting, and interested in considering the significance of how he chose to present himself.
This experience has deepened my appreciation of the Stop and Chat concept and reinforced how much I continue enjoying being a guide.
My Experiences with At The Moulin Rouge • Larry Simon
I was concerned the first time I had this assignment because it was at 11 a.m. on a Sunday. I thought I would have no one to talk to. But I need not have worried as there have always been plenty of people. Actually it has been hard to get away when my time is up.In Toulouse-Lautrec's painting At the Moulin Rouge, some people comment about the self portrait of the artist sitting in the background. When I explain that actually he was standing with his taller cousin behind him, the discussion can focus on him being the painter, and how he could have made himself taller or his cousin shorter. This is an opening to thinking about how he felt about his height.
Another fun observation is that his close friend, Jane Avril, has her back to the viewer. Why would the artist portray her in this way? This opens up the discussion to the shift to a celebrity culture, which was occurring at that time. A possible explanation is that her impossibly orange hair was her trademark, so a viewer who frequented Montmartre would not need to see her face to know who she was. This also allows a way to connect to the posters on the left-hand wall, which show Jane with her impossibly orange hair on the left end of the line of four dancers.
My experience with this mini-exhibition has been very enjoyable. It has been hard for me to get away from the discussions. As always, visitors come up with very interesting questions or observations, which again show that learning is a two-way street when you are a tour guide.
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