a
a
turn of the
century
posters
from the
krannert
art museum
collection
parent & child guide
This guide explains why posters are displayed in a museum. It also introduces four works
by the most famous poster designer of the late nineteenth century: Henri de ToulouseLautrec (pronounced on-ree duh too-looz low-trek’). The guide is appropriate for children
ages 9 and up, but much of the information can be adapted for younger children.
From the lobby: Take the elevator or stairs to Level 2. Turn left.
On the elevator: Skim the overview and share information with your child.
Before you enter the gallery: Remind your child that works of art displayed
in a museum are considered valuable and cannot be touched.
In the gallery: Use the talking points to discuss what you see.
Before you leave: Reflect on what you and your child discovered together.
through January 8, 2012
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What Makes a Poster Worthy of a Museum?
The posters in this gallery are different than the commercially printed posters we see in schools, in stores, and in our home. The
Krannert Art Museum posters are considered more valuable and special because:
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The posters were designed by famous artists who are
represented in major art museums around the world.
l The artists incorporated popular, progressive styles and
used innovative techniques to create dynamic images.
FIND this poster.
Lautrec was commissioned by the Moulin Rouge to design
this poster. The Moulin Rouge was a cabaret, or dance hall.
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Professional printers printed these posters by hand. One of
Lautrec’s posters shows a “master printer” in action.
The posters show us what life was like 100 years ago.
We see how people dressed, what types of products
they purchased, and what entertainment they enjoyed.
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The star attraction at the Moulin Rouge was Louise
Weber, who performed the cancan. She is kicking so high
that her petticoat is showing!
Technique: To focus attention on
the dancer, the crowd is drawn in
silhouette.
The cabaret, which opened in 1889, was quite
a place! In the garden outside, one could find
donkey rides, monkeys on chains, and a huge
papier-mâché-and-wood elephant.
Technique: Unexpected elements
create visual interest. What might
this yellow shape be?
Technique: Lautrec believed that
people’s character was best revealed
in profile.
Compare this poster with Lautrec’s nearby poster
promoting Jane Avril, another popular dancer.
How are the pictures similar? How are they different?
Why this poster is successful
It’s easy to see, and easy to read! A poster of this size
has maximum visual impact. In addition, information
about the Moulin Rouge was integrated into the image in
an artistic manner. Note how the name of the cabaret is
listed three times at the top. The name is also written in
a wavy style to complement the dancer’s swishing skirt.
Technique: Color contrasts make
things stand out. The dancer’s blond
hair and white petticoat are easy to
see against the dark background.
Technique: Lautrec used a spatter
technique to create toned areas
that would not compete with the
focal point.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge, 1891, brush and
spatter lithograph, courtesy of Krannert Art Museum and
Kinkead Pavilion, gift of William S. Kinkead 1975-11-5.
Lithography was invented in Bavaria, Germany, in the late 1790s by Aloys Senefelder. The word
is derived from the Greek, meaning “stone writing.” To view how lithographs are made, visit this website:
http://www.moma.org/interactives/projects/2001/whatisaprint/print.html
Figge Education Department
563.326.7804
www.figgeartmuseum.org
Davenport, Iowa
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FIND this poster.
Technique: Each color must be
printed separately. Printers use
careful registration methods, so
colors don’t print in the wrong areas!
All of the works in this gallery are a type of print called a
lithograph (pronounced ‘lih-tho-graf’).
The man who printed Lautrec’s
lithographs is shown here.
Lithography made art more accessible to the middle
class at the turn of the century. Lautrec and other artists
created lithographs that would be sold together in print
portfolios. The French term l’estampe originale means
original prints.
scraper bar: puts pressure on the
inked stone so ink will be transferred
to the paper
The woman looking at a print is a well-known dancer
named Jane Avril. She was also Lautrec’s friend.
ink rollers: note the different colors
What is a lithograph? To create a lithograph, an artist draws an image on the smooth, flat surface of a large limestone. A master printer would then treat the drawing with chemicals so that
only the drawn image would accept ink when the printer rolled a large ink roller across the surface
of the stone. A sheet of paper is placed on top of the inked stone and run through a press.
FIND this poster.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Couverture de L’estampe
originale, 1893, brush and spatter lithograph, courtesy
of Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, Estate of
William S. Kinkead 1984-44-9;
Technique: A single color can unify
different parts of a picture.
Lautrec enjoyed drawing or painting people observing
other people.
Technique: The woman’s black dress
and hat stand out against the lighter
background color.
Here, a couple is sitting in a theatre balcony called a loge
(pronounced ‘lo-zh’). The woman is peering through opera
glasses to see a performer—or perhaps another person in
the audience!
Technique: Diagonal lines show us
that we are looking at the balcony
seat from below.
The man is one of Lautrec’s friends. Does he look like he is
enjoying the performance?
Look for other Lautrec posters that show someone
observing or looking at another person.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, La loge au mascaron doré,
1894, crayon, brush, and spatter lithograph with scraper,
courtesy of Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion,
Estate of William S. Kinkead 1984-44-20
FIND this poster.
Technique: For this asymmetrical composition, Lautrec placed both seated
figures on the right side of the picture.
What do you see on the left side of the
picture that provides some balance?
Lautrec used Jane Avril, a celebrity, to promote the
Divan Japonais Theatre.
The man behind Jane was a well-known music and theatre
critic. Lautrec drew both people in profile—something he
liked to do.
Technique: Japanese prints inspired
Lautrec to crop the image at the top.
What is missing?
The French public was introduced to Japanese art after
trade was reopened with Japan in 1853. Japanese ukiyo-e
prints, in particular, made a strong impression on artists.
Lautrec, like many artists, incorporated Japanese stylistic
elements into his work, creating asymmetrical compositions with boldly cropped images, strong diagonals, and
a “flattened” perspective. The subjects found in Japanese
prints—actors and other entertainers—also influenced
French artists.
Before
you leave…
Technique: Jane and the entertainer
appear to be close in proximity, even
though they aren’t. This “flattened”
perspective was borrowed from
Japanese prints.
Technique: Repeated lines and shapes
can provide a sense of unity in a composition. How many curved lines can
you find?
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Divan Japonais, 1893,
crayon, brush, spatter, and transferred screen
lithograph, Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead
Pavilion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
l View the poster of Aristide Bruant, a singer who often wore a hat and red scarf. What clothes and accessories would you wear if someone created
a poster of you?
l Check out the Victor Bicycle poster. If Lance Armstrong served as a celebrity spokesperson for Victor Bicycles, what might a poster of him look like?
To learn more about Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, printmaking, and life at the turn of the century in France, please join
us for a free Family Event from 1-4 pm on Saturday, October 1. This event is sponsored by Butler Insurance, Inc.
References & Recommended Reading
Castleman, R. (1998). Toulouse-Lautrec: Posters and Prints from the Collection of Irene and Howard Stein. Atlanta: High Museum of Art.