The exhibition Toulouse Lautrec. La Ville Lumière has been exceptionally extended until September 9th: at Palazzo della Cultura in Catania, 150 works from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens celebrates the artistic career of one of the greatest exponents of the Belle Époque: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864‒1901). Paris, late 19th century: Bohemian lifestyle, the artists of Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge, theatres, satirical journals and prostitutes. This was the captivating world of Toulouse-Lautrec, a genius who primarily made his name through advertising posters and portraits of figures who characterised an era, making a real impression on the public imagination. Posters, lithographs, drawings, illustrations and watercolours, together with photos and period furnishings, paint a picture of Bohemian Paris, taking visitors back in time. Curated by Stefano Zuffi and w

The University of Oxford unveiled on Friday a “once-in-a-generation” exhibition of materials related to “The Lord of the Rings” author J. R. R. Tolkien, featuring previously unseen objects from several countries. “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth”, which opened in its Bodleian Libraries, presents manuscripts, artworks, maps, letters and artefacts in the biggest display in decades on the beloved British author — whose works gave rise to the hugely successful film series. Some of the exhibits are returning to Oxford — where Tolkien spent most of his adult life — for the first time since his death in the historic English city in 1973. “What we wanted to show was Tolkien’s original work, stripping back interpretations to where it all started,” curator Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien archivist at the libraries, told AFP. The displays showcase the range of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s output, from early abstract paintings and tales he wrote for his children, to material related to works publish