Left Out of the Dance at the Moulin Rouge
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted two similar paintings from 1890-1895 titled Dance at the Moulin Rouge and At the Moulin Rouge. They both portray a party scene, the former having a woman doing the can-can with reckless abandon as a man tries to keep up. In the foreground, a presumably rich woman in pink garb watches on, looking to join one of the clusters of people socializing. The second painting focuses on a table of men and women drinking and talking, a casual air about them. There are people dancing in the background and a singer performing in the front. Both paintings portray an aristocratic sense of letting go and taking a breath.
Because of childhood injuries and illness, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec had child sized legs and an adult sized torso, and only stood about 4 foot 8 inches tall. This caused him to often feel left out of the aristocratic society he was born into. Which brings attention to the perspective of the painting. Henri was a frequenter of the nightclub and likely painted these scenes from memory. They seem to be painted from the point of view of someone just entering the club and looking around, trying to get a feel for what is going on tonight. But the observer is not a part of the action. The people sitting at the table are engrossed in their own affairs. The men and women on the dance floor cannot be bothered to look at the painter in the doorway. The singer, the woman with the green lit face, seems to be looking at you, but is really in the middle of a performance, looking right over your shoulder or maybe right at you, but not seeing you at all. The observer is not engaged. He is simply observing, and no one is welcoming him farther.
So often are the observers, the documenters, left out of the loop. It's part of the job description. One cannot truly observe from the inside. Only those brave enough to step out of the light can see the true darkness that plagues those in the inner circle. This is a false narrative. No one pays attention to the artist in the cafe, painting people with tired eyes, as the artist himself blinks the sleep away. So many artists throughout history had mental issues, to the point where 'tortured' couples hand in hand with the job.
It was because he felt so isolated that Henri threw himself into painting and, later in his life, alcohol.
Everyone feels left out at some point in their lives. Whether it's before class starts when everyone is talking as you silently arrange your things. Or at a party, when you're not sure who you can talk to because everyone seems to busy. Maybe it's a less physical occasion: everyone your age and younger seems to be accomplishing so much more than you ever could. Though we may not have a physical deformity, I'm sure we can all relate to the painter standing in the doorway, being left out of the dance at the Moulin Rouge. But, every once in a while, you must remember to hike up your skirt and do the can-can with reckless abandon.
Because of childhood injuries and illness, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec had child sized legs and an adult sized torso, and only stood about 4 foot 8 inches tall. This caused him to often feel left out of the aristocratic society he was born into. Which brings attention to the perspective of the painting. Henri was a frequenter of the nightclub and likely painted these scenes from memory. They seem to be painted from the point of view of someone just entering the club and looking around, trying to get a feel for what is going on tonight. But the observer is not a part of the action. The people sitting at the table are engrossed in their own affairs. The men and women on the dance floor cannot be bothered to look at the painter in the doorway. The singer, the woman with the green lit face, seems to be looking at you, but is really in the middle of a performance, looking right over your shoulder or maybe right at you, but not seeing you at all. The observer is not engaged. He is simply observing, and no one is welcoming him farther.
So often are the observers, the documenters, left out of the loop. It's part of the job description. One cannot truly observe from the inside. Only those brave enough to step out of the light can see the true darkness that plagues those in the inner circle. This is a false narrative. No one pays attention to the artist in the cafe, painting people with tired eyes, as the artist himself blinks the sleep away. So many artists throughout history had mental issues, to the point where 'tortured' couples hand in hand with the job.
It was because he felt so isolated that Henri threw himself into painting and, later in his life, alcohol.
Everyone feels left out at some point in their lives. Whether it's before class starts when everyone is talking as you silently arrange your things. Or at a party, when you're not sure who you can talk to because everyone seems to busy. Maybe it's a less physical occasion: everyone your age and younger seems to be accomplishing so much more than you ever could. Though we may not have a physical deformity, I'm sure we can all relate to the painter standing in the doorway, being left out of the dance at the Moulin Rouge. But, every once in a while, you must remember to hike up your skirt and do the can-can with reckless abandon.
Comments
Post a Comment