The Museo degli Innocenti in Florence hosts the major exhibition “Toulouse-Lautrec. A Journey into Belle Époque Paris.” A unique itinerary that transports visitors to the heart of the French capital between the late 19th and early 20th century, among dazzling lights, lively cafés, artistic innovation, and the rise of modern poster art.
The Belle Époque was a time of progress and joie de vivre, marked by the first electric lights, bustling boulevards, and cafés filled with artists, dancers, and writers. It was in this vibrant cultural atmosphere that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) rose to fame. Painter, illustrator, and innovator, Lautrec captured the bohemian nightlife of Montmartre with both irony and depth. A regular at the Moulin Rouge and café-concerts, he transformed the Parisian night into art. His iconic lithographic posters not only revolutionized advertising but also became lasting visual symbols of the Belle Époque.