Toulouse-Lautrec

and the Stars of Paris

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2019

This exhibition celebrated 19th-century celebrity culture in Paris, bringing together Toulouse-Lautrec's posters, prints, and paintings with film, dance, and music to create an immersive experience that captured the spirit of the era. Organized into thematic sections, the show highlighted Lautrec's artistic innovations—dramatic lighting and color combinations—alongside his expressive depictions of cafés, cabarets, theaters, and the celebrities who animated them. The intent of the exhibition design was to immerse visitors in the colorful, delightful, and expressive spirit of this time and place.

Immersive Experiences. Video and period music were woven throughout the show. An early section called, Paris by Day, featured a Lumière Brothers film of the Eiffel Tower; the Cabaret section included footage of the Can-Can, framed by red velvet curtains and string lights; and the exhibition closed with Loïe Fuller's Serpentine Dance, projected on a curtained stage set.

Color and Lighting. Rich jewel tones on the walls complemented the work while adding drama and contrast throughout the experience. Moody, dramatic spotlighting in the cabaret and theater sections played against brighter lighting in sections devoted to daily life.

Casework. Two case designs carried the show's progression. In the opening galleries introducing the artist, I designed solid wooden cases to display earlier work, including custom frames on pedestals built for several double-sided drawings. As the exhibition moved into the changing social landscape of the era, casework shifted to recall the ironwork of Art Nouveau style—pairing found iron-look bases with a custom tabletop and bonnet.