Divan Japonais

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, a post-impresstionist, was born into an aristocratic French family in 1864. cast out early in life because of a birth defect (likely the result of inbreeding), he found a home amongst the bohemian artists and performers in Montmartre. he made a living creating posters such as this one, which advertises a cabaret performance. all of western Europe was, at this point, enamored of Japanese culture, a result of the recent opening of Japan and an outpouring of Japanese goods.

Divan Japonais was painted in 1893 and is housed at the MFA Boston.

I made it to the de Young's Post-Impressionist exhibit!

I went to the de Young's exhibit "Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond" over the weekend. it was absolutely stunning. beautifully edited, wonderfully displayed, and very informative, if a little crowded.

the first painting a visitor passes as they make their way around the first room is an unassuming little painting by Pissarro of the Pont Boieldieu. as you get closer you realize what a beautiful painting it is.

Pissarro, one of the original Impressionists, and an extremely under appreciated one in my opinion, tended to paint the working class, in contrast with the middle-class subjects of most Impressionists. he was later influenced by Signac, a Pointalist, and his use of color theory, but this painting is wholly Impressionist.

if you happen to be in San Francisco before January 18th, you MUST go see this exhibit. and while you're there, try to head over to the Legion of Honor's "Japanesque" exhibit, about the influence of Japanese wood block prints on Impressionist art. that exhibit ends on January 8th, and I'm desperately trying to make time in my schedule to see it.

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Paul Gauguin

in honor of the only state-side exhibition of the Post-Impressionist collection from the Musee d'Orsay, currently at the de Young museum in San Francisco, I decided to post a painting by Gauguin. I have not yet been to the exhibition, but I am dying to go. one day, when I have a day off work...

Gauguin spent much of his life traveling and working around the world. he eventually ended up in Tahiti, where, with the exception of two years, he spent the rest of his life. this painting, self portrait with yellow christ, was done shortly after his initial move to the South Pacific. it depicts two of his earlier paintings, yellow christ, and the tobacco jar, in addition to himself.

I enjoy Gauguin's art for the raw, savage emotions he imparts and his vivid use of color.

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