La Belle Epoque and Andy
Warhol: A Life in Pop
Nassau County Museum of Art, Now through November 7
BY LORRAINE BERTAN,
CULTURAL AFFAIRS
La Belle Epoque and Andy
Warhol: A Life in Pop Art
represent different historical
periods in which art was associated
with the conditions of the times. La
Belle Époque originated during a
peaceful period in Europe after the
end of the Franco-Prussian War in
1871 until the onset of World War I.
The power of the British Navy (Pax
Britannica) provided stability to the
countries of Europe and economic
growth was encouraged. The economy
of Europe was flourishing and
colonial expansion was extending
national boundaries. Louis Pasteur
and Marie Curie were the scientists
of the time and advances in science
and technology improved the lives
of the population. The general prosperity
and political calm added to a
feeling of optimism that encouraged
the arts.
The 1889 World’s Fair in France
introduced extravagant displays and
venues that excited the public. The
Eiffel Tower was constructed at this
time, and the iron work of the Paris
subway architecture introduced
the sinuous organic forms of Art
Nouveau. Art Nouveau permeated
the design of furniture and crystal,
exemplified by Lalique. French society
became obsessed with orchid
cultivation. Pierre Bonnard, Jean
Puy, Henri Le Sidaner, Edgar Degas,
Pierre Auguste Renoir and Henri
de Toulouse-Lautrec, the painters
of the time, are represented in the
museum exhibit.
The life style of wealthy people
in that period reflected extravagance
both in entertainment,
dining and dress, as shown in the
museum exhibit on the first floor.
French couture and home furnishings
became symbolic of the Belle
Epoque which found its way to the
other parts of Europe. The work of
Louis Comfort Tiffany was admired
and Tiffany lamps appeared in the
homes of the wealthy. Opera, ballet
and theatre required sumptuous
buildings, ornamented in the Arte
Nouveau style. Grand theatres like
the Garnier Opera in Paris and the
Follies Bergere and the Moulon
Rouge were constructed, as well
as lesser venues like the cabarets
of Montmartre, to accommodate
audiences enjoying the performing
arts. La Goulue and Jane April
were performers who modeled
for posters created by Toulouse-
Lautrec, a form of advertising that
became an iconic art form for the
period.
Andy Warhol used commercial
advertisements in his work,
Room setting at the Museum Tiffany Lamp
creating art out of commercial
advertising. Andrew Warhol was
born in 1928 and suffered chronic
illness and anxiety during his
childhood. His mother encouraged
him to draw, which he enjoyed and
exhibited talent.
Upon graduating from high
school he entered the Carnegie
Institute of Technology to study
pictorial design and received a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He
worked for Glamour Magazine and
was very successful, becoming a
well-known commercial artist in
the 1950s. In the late 1950s he
began concentrating on painting,
and in 1961 he introduced the
concept of “Pop Art”--painting
commercial objects that were
familiar to all.
In 1962 he exhibited the
“Campbell Soup Cans,” which
symbolized Pop Art. The period
of Pop Art was characterized
by student protests and protests
against the Vietnam War, a troubling
environment compared to
that of the peaceful and prosperous
La Belle Epoque. Pop Art rejected
conservatism and reflected hippie
lifestyle. The rise and popularity of
rock and roll music and a change
in clothing styles occurred during
this time.
Warhol’s paintings of Marilyn
Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Mao Tse
Tung and Muhammad Ali exemplify
the celebrity cult of the time,
which Warhol enjoyed as well.
His studio, named the “Factory”
produced the silk screens of his
work and was a meeting place for
celebrities from many fields. The
“Flowers” silkscreens represent the
most abstract form of his work.
The Nassau County Museum of
Art exhibit explores the art of these
two unique periods. The Museum
is located at One Museum Drive,
Roslyn Harbor. Visit nassaumuseum.
org for more information.
“La Femme” by Pierre Auguste
Renoir
“Flowers” by Andy Warhol
“Job” by Alphonse Maria Mucha “Ali” by Andy Warhol
32 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ July 2021