View a Preview ClipDance at the Moulin de la Galette. This program brings 1870s Montmartre and the Moulin de la Galette to life through Renoir’s romanticized vision and history’s less generous account. Beginning with Renoir’s life on the Rue Cortot, the video contrasts the artist’s idealism with the realities of poverty and left-wing radicalism that pervaded the locale. In addition, it sheds light on the painting’s composition; the art establishment’s negative reaction to Impressionism; less complimentary takes on the famous dance hall by Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, and Van Gogh; and the other, smaller version of Moulin de la Galette—which sold at auction in 1990 for an astonishing $78.1 million. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
