Art Nouveau; Part Two

a production designer's perspective:

Carroll Moore's Toulouse-Lautrec and Monmarte was more of a narrative, historical recall of Lautrec and his work.  Catherine Martin's production design of Moulin Rouge however, surrounded the audience in the atmosphere of an elaborate, and at times over-the-top, story line.  Details as simple as animation between characters create a large contrast between the two films.  Pictures and common facts from the Moore documentation are in black and white, and are told in a "recalling" manner; Martin's production is full of color, noise, excitement, and life.  Both films elaborated on the time's "forbidden pleasures" that were so enticing to Lautrec.  From the two films it was also easy to understand the activities that took place at the Moulin Rouge.  Again, while Martin's production was more flamboyant, Moore's documentation still gave its watchers the just of the nighttime attitudes without giving a live reenactment. 

(poster)

(painting)

At the Moulin Rouge

Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings, for me, are more alive.  They breath through Lautrec's use of color and his figure's expressions.  In the above painting the viewer can almost smell the booze on Lautrec's models, and ponder over only a few possibilities of what conversations are going on in the club.  The posters create more of an advertising response, obviously what was intended.  His posters stay true to the Japanese Prints influence: embracing using flat color, decorative appeal, and linear elements.  

I chose the two above images because they relay a strong idea of the traditions of the Moulin Rouge.  Starting with the poster, and the figures that are performing the CAN-CAN.  In Martin's production, the first impression of the night was the CAN-CAN.  Women everywhere were flipping their dresses up, reflecting back to the poster.  While the women in Lautrec's poster are caught in action, Martin puts these idealistic figures into action.  While their deeds don't seem family oriented, Martin through his film made the dancing seem to perfectly fit the norm. 

What better way to understand how the Moulin Rouge was than to study Lautrec's At the Mounlin Rouge?  The effects of alcohol, nightly table conversations, women of the night discussions, and even the glowing lights from the dance floor are all present in Lautrec's painting.  The painting offers more detailed information than the posted poster in the figurative emotion, perspective, and composition.