Thursdays, November 16 – December 14, 4 – 6pm

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. "A Montrouge"–Rosa La Rouge (detail), 1886–87. BF263.
$220; members $198
(4 classes; no class Nov 23)
About the Class
More than any artist of his time, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured the rollicking nightlife of Montmartre in the 1890s. This was the era of the Moulin Rouge, the cancan, and seedy all-night cabarets—and Toulouse-Lautrec was right in the middle of it, developing a new visual language to convey the glamor, and sadness, of this dizzying Parisian underworld. This course explores the life and work of this famously mischievous artist, focusing on his paintings of dance hall performers and prostitutes, posters advertising the era’s celebrities, and portraits depicting members of his bohemian circle. Among the themes we will discuss are the rise of celebrity culture in Paris; the massive expansion of print media in the late 19th century; and the social history of prostitution.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
Barnes classes will:
- Increase your understanding of art-related concepts.
- Increase the ways you think critically about art.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Instructor

Martha Lucy
Lucy is the deputy director for research, interpretation and education at the Barnes. As an art historian, she specializes in modern European art and visual culture. She is the coauthor of Renoir in the Barnes Foundation and has published articles and essays on topics ranging from the early charcoals of Odilon Redon to contemporary installation art.
Recent Barnes Class Testimonials
“[The] professor was highly engaging, facilitated excellent discussions, and [was] very knowledgeable. I learned a lot about teaching art history from watching her.” Matisse and Picasso with Martha Lucy
“The instructor [was] very empathetic and knowledgeable [and] created moments of sharing across students who participated actively in discussion.” Art and Literature of the Harlem Renaissance with Michael Williamson
“I am not an artist and prior to this course I had not thought about what an artist might be 'thinking,' as opposed to 'feeling.' I loved this course and plan to immerse myself in color theory.” Visualizing Memory with Lucas Kelly
“The instructor was exceptionally well prepared and challenged us with profound questions. This was a graduate degree caliber course.” The Queer 1890s with Ty Vanover