The Dixon in Memphis is the first and only American museum to present the landmark retrospective of Jean-Louis Forain, essential member of the Impressionist circle, protege of Degas, and mentor to Toulouse-Lautrec. Don't miss this unique opportunity to explore the world of Forain and turn of the century Paris through 130 paintings, pastels, drawings and decorative objects on view through October 9.
The most ambitious exhibition in the Dixon's thirty-five year history, this seminal retrospective of Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain (1852-1931) was produced in partnership with Paris’ Petit Palais. Assembled from museum and private collections from across the globe, the once-in-a-generation exhibition traces the arc of the insightful artist’s prolific career with 130 works spanning over a fifty-year time period, including twenty works from the Dixon’s own collection of 58 works by Forain.
About Jean-Louis Forain
More than any other artist in the Impressionist circle, Forain was the great chronicler of Parisian life at the turn of the nineteenth century. At the beginning of his career, the young artist was closely associated with a group of bohemian writers and poets, often providing the illustrations for their publications, before being drawn into the Impressionist circle by Edgar Degas. With Degas’ support, Forain exhibited at four (1879, 1880, 1881, and 1886) of the eight landmark Impressionist exhibitions held in Paris between 1874 and 1886, showing mainly his scenes of bustling Parisian cafés, elegant soirées, and of the dazzling world of Parisian Opéra.
As time went on, the artist became more and more interested in depicting the foibles of human nature in Paris’ many newspapers, including Le Courrier Français and Le Monde, and when France became involved in World War I, the sixty-two year old patriot-artist enlisted in the Camouflage Unit, documenting soldier life through his expressive drawings. At the end of his life, Forain returned to what he knew best—dance subjects, both the ballerinas that he always adored and the dancers that had emerged in Paris’ jazz clubs in the 1920s, depicting them with the same honesty and wit that had always defined his work.
Working with a distinguishing passion and exuberance, Forain remained dedicated to exposing and poking fun at human weaknesses throughout his career. His incredible skill as both a draughtsman and painter, as well as his unflinching honesty, influenced a generation of artists including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
This summer, we invite you to come discover why Jean-Louis Forain means so much to the story of Impressionism. Showcasing only Forain’s finest works from public and private collections across the United States and Europe (including several works from the Forain family), Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne is the exhibition of the year!
Organized by the Petit Palais, Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris, in collaboration with the Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Learn more about the Dixon's Jean-Louis Forain Collection
- A full-color catalogue for the exhibition will be published in English and available June 2011
- Cafe Forain, an outdoor garden cafe, will be open during the run of the exhibition
- The Dixon will extend its hours every Thursday evening until 9 pm for Forain After Dark. Check the event calendarfor program details.
- The new Forain Sunday Lecture series will feature local and national experts
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