Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/53439
[ Visual Arts ] Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard and Mau- rice Utrillo, all major 20th century figures. Another particular attraction of this show is its narrative and expository design. To see Cloudman arranging her tiny cut- out thumbnails of each painting on a huge, white, wall-mounted floor plan, in such a way as to draw the viewer in and to tell a story, is to be made aware of a profound intellectual joy to complement the purely visual. Upon entering the special exhibition, one encounters a room full of portraits, of which Te Visitor, by the American ex- patriate Cassatt, is a startling standout for its "coarse brushstrokes" and earthy ap- peal. Visitors are then led into scenes of Paris nightlife, where the usual suspects — including Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas — are supplemented by the works of Jean- Louis Forain, 57 of which were acquired by the Dixon in 1993. Forain's storytelling adds spice to the show. Your eye may be drawn to his In- termission. On Stage, with its undisguised erotic charge. Dancers were "exotic" in the 19th century the way strippers are today. All operas performed at the Paris Opera — Guiseppe Verdi and Wilhelm Wagner included — had to have a ballet scene in the third act. Why so late? Because the gentlemen of the Jockey Club did not finish dinner until then, at which hour they would head off to ogle the legs and ankles of the dancers. Te old boy in the painting staring lubriciously at the dancer reminds us just how appealing the women were in an age when skirts reached the floor and prurience competed with prudery. Continuing through the exhibition, visi- tors come to a section of still lifes, a room full of landscapes and, finally, a glowing and diverse section of Paris scenes. For many the highlight will be that superb Degas Dancer Adjusting Her Shoe, be- hind which hangs a tale. Hugo Dixon had what Cloudman calls "a cautious streak" and hesitated to purchase the Degas be- cause he thought the price too high. His advisor, Rewald, stepped in and assured him that it was "a work of major importance" — a view visitors likely shall concur with. It is clear that the exhibition came about as a result of some fairly venturesome think- ing on the part of Venable and his staff, with the active concurrence of the Dixon. Venable notes: "Te economy has made it harder to borrow big exhibitions from Europe, simply because they are so expensive. Terefore, we have to be very entrepreneurial in order to College Guide Louisville Magazine's complete guide to finding (and getting into!) the right college for your student. The 2012 College Guide will be distributed to all public, private and parochial high school juniors in Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Floyd, Clark, Harrison, Scott and Crawford counties in Indiana. 625-0100 x32 or advertising@loumag.com [36] LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 2.12 Coming May 2012