Lovers and Lautrec 

Joseph Lorusso created this painting, "Lovers and Lautrec," using oil. It depicts a couple in a museum gazing at a painting by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This image raises some interesting questions about the public role of art and the politics of imagery. The couple is physically close, holding hands, and the woman rests her head on the man’s shoulder. They are looking at a depiction of intimacy, made by an artist known for depicting the demimonde of Paris. It’s interesting to consider how the museum setting affects the viewer’s experience of art and intimacy. Does the museum create a space for open-mindedness, or does it formalize and sanitize the expression of human experience? To learn more, one could research the history of museums and the changing social norms around the display of art. What do you think?