Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was associated with the Moulin Rouge since it first opened in 1891. He was captivated by the unique spirit of the club where people of all walks of life would mingle and enjoy the festivities. Of course it probably also helped that the nightclub’s owner bought Lautrec’s Equestrian painting to hang in the foyer. That painting was one of Lautrec’s many works depicting the circus with an active and exciting composition showing the performers in action. It seems fitting for the Moulin Rouge which was known for it’s active performances and circus like atmosphere. In addition to being the birthplace of the high energy can can dance, The Moulin Rouge boasted some other wild innovations including building a dance floor for patrons to enjoy dancing along as the spirit moved them, and there was even an elephant on the premises in the garden.

Arts Madness 2025

Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).

Arts Madness 2025 links:

Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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Henri de Toulouse Lautrec | At The Moulin Rouge