Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition opens in Turin amid uncertainty over Manet show

A major exhibition on Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec has opened at Palazzo Chiablese in Turin, featuring 170 works from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, never before exhibited in Italy. The show, titled "Toulouse-Lautrec. La Belle Époque," runs until March 5, 2017, under the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, produced by the Musei Reali di Torino and Arthemisia Group. It focuses on the technical process of lithography, including posters, drawings, and promotional graphics, with a minimalist reconstruction of a café chantant and an unmade bed evoking the artist's bohemian past. The exhibition comes as a planned major show on Édouard Manet at the GAM in Turin faces an uncertain future, announced a year ago by Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie President Guy Cogeval. Tensions had risen after Skira CEO Massimo Vitta Zelman criticized the city's museum card system, claiming former mayor Fassino helped secure sponsors. However, Arthemisia President Iole Siena dismissed concerns about reduced ticket revenue from the Abbonamento Musei, stating the card has been in place for years and was factored into planning. Siena confirmed her commitment to Turin and hinted at a future project without providing details. The exhibition includes about twenty works previously seen at the Ara Pacis in Rome, explained by Siena as a natural overlap of collections due to different lithograph editions.