Talk:The Hangover (Suzanne Valadon)

Issues and errata

• Should mention the nature of his childhood injury in more detail.
  • "He fractured his right femur at the age of 13, and his left at the age of 14. This made him unable to participate in the usual activities of men his age, so he took up an interest in art and illustrations. His legs never grew properly after that, producing a 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m) adult "
• More could be said about the hosting museums for the sketch and drawing
• René Princeteau should be worked into the background
  • Done.
• Move Montmartre addresses out of captions and inline
  • Done.
• Should briefly mention his series of strokes and previous battles with alcohol-related hallucinations.
  • More could be said about the green fairy, as the painting appears to also have a green cast to it, so there is likely a relationship.
    • Just discovered that in addtion to alluding to the green fairy of absinthe, the use of this color may also be a deliberate homage to Japanese brothels depicted in art: "In the monograph Outamaro Goncourt created the image of Utamaro as "the painter of the maisons vertes". Maisons vertes is a straightforward translation of the Japanese word seiro,which means "green house," or brothel. Because Toulouse-Lautrec was a frequent visitor of the high-class Parisian establishments he became Utamaro’s counterpart and was known by the moniker "the Utamaro of Montmartre".
      • There is an additional, unexplored implication here, according to Ricard Bru, it seems likely that Lautrec received inspiration from his time in the brothels, as French brothels were reported to have shunga prints and books on the premises, according to Fiaux (1892). This likely dovetails with the rise of Japanese influence in French art post-1858, becoming prominent by 1872.

• "It is also believed that the relationship between Lautrec and Valadon was over sometime around or after February"
  • This is also in dispute. The alternate interpretation, that their relationship continued in some form or another for a while after this, should also be represented.
• Biographer Julia Frey's comments about how Lautrec viewed prostitutes (and other women) is at odds with others who cite Jane Avril as saying he viewed and treated them as equals. It is not clear which is true. I am considering adding both views. Frey, in fact, takes a decidedly negative view, describing his brothel works as a means for him to control, dominate, and seduce women. This is at odds with what Avril and others say.
• "This bias against women in the artworld was not unique to Lautrec but was symptomatic of institutional classism and misogyny in French society as a whole." I temporarily removed this sentence for several reasons, mostly because I misplaced the source that directly supports it. I will add it back in at a later date with another citation, hopefully.
  • Looking closer at Frey, she vacillates in some parts, and considers both views.
• Need to make the source to syphilis explicit. There’s an enormous amount of literature on this, so it’s easy to do.
  • Patient of doctors Péan and Frédéric Baumgarten
• Add exhibition appearance at the Armory Show (1913)
  • A huge oversight. In progress.
    • Done.
• Add exhibition section.
  • Done.
• Lautrec completed around 50 paintings featuring prostitution, none of which were exhibited or known until after he died
  • I think the claim is likely inaccurate, as the author is combining all works together as paintings, instead of paintings, drawings, lithographs, etc. For an example of this problem, see Elles (1896). This non-erotic series has 10+ lithographs of prostitutes, but many authors erroneously refer to them as "paintings". In addition to this inaccuracy, there's the problem of adding up the number of erotic works, which IIRC, were only published after Lautrec's death and are difficult to find online, but are available if you know where to look. Do the works in toto across all mediums comprise 50? Or is the number more? Needs answers.
• There are five separate versions of The Hangover
  • Two pastel studies, one additional study, one drawing, and one painting.
    • Parke-Bernet Galleries (1946), Van Horne auction catalog.
      • I'm not convinced this is correct. The Parke-Bernet Gallery catalog makes the unusual claim that Young Woman at a Table (Poudre de riz, 1887) in the Van Gogh Museum, which is done very much in the style of Van Gogh, and which was purchased by Theo, was a study for The Hangover. To me, this makes no sense. I would go so far as to say that the opposite is true. The Hangover appears to be a study for Poudre de riz. Not sure how anyone could get this wrong.
        • I've crossed out five up above. Parke-Bernet Galleries must have got it wrong. Perhaps they meant to imply that this was part of the Young woman at a Table series, which based on the dates would be true, but beyond that, doesn't share all that much. I will keep looking into this.
          • Now I'm beginning to think the critics have mixed up the two paintings in their reviews. This is a huge problem.
            • Ok, having had some time to think about this, I think the simplest explanation is that Parke-Bernet, or the person who put the catalog together, confused the titles because both works are called Young Woman at a Table. That’s the only thing they have in common. The catalog writer likely wrote this entry without actually checking the painting.
              • This work is popularly known as Rice Powder.
                • CR 324 is in fact, the study in question. Still working out the details.
                  • Confirmed. Rice Powder is CR 340 in Sugana (1969). The only possible conclusion is that Parke-Bernet is wrong. CR 340 was not a study for The Hangover.
• Studies should be moved to development section
  • Done. Additional content to be added from Hewitt 2018, which explains exactly how it is related to this section.
• Maurice Joyant may be the source for early information about the painting.
• Expand use of Jacques Lassaigne
  • In progress. Note, Lassaigne's interpretation of the origin of the painting (Bruant's music, theme, title), is disputed by others, which should be placed side by side
• Need to clarify living arrangements with Valadon. 7, rue Tourlaque: did they live in the same house? One source says yes, but the other say no, he lived across from her ("almost next door") at 27 rue Caulaincourt. The discrepancy appears to come from the fact that Rue Tourlaque and Rue Calaincourt intersect?
  • Current literature as of 2023 confirms that they lived together at 7, rue Tourlaque. Clarify: In the same building. She moved to 2, rue Cortot in 1890. I think the reason she didn't move earlier is because Lautrec moved out of the building in 1887. My understanding is that Lautrec kept his studio and living areas separate. Although I am still working out the details, it is implied that Lautrec had his studio on the top floor at 7, rue Tourlaque, and Valadon lived elsewhere in the building. It is assumed he painted The Hangover here, but I am still pursuing this.
• Provenance
  • Joyant (1926) OCLC 23404597 cleary notes that the painting comes from the Dihau collection, so the question is why this doesn't show up elsewhere.
    • My mistake. This must be just for the drawing, not the painting, which is already sourced in the article. I will add this as a supplementary note.
• Expand Van Gogh material
  • Use Sugana (1969)
  • Franka Blok, "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Portrait of Vincent van Gogh, 1887", catalogue entry in Contemporaries of Van Gogh 1: Works Collected by Theo and Vincent, Joost van der Hoeven (ed.), Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum, 2024.
• "an experience they shared in high spirits, a little private joke that came as an aftermath of one of Lautrec's less inhibited parties"
  • I probably need to explain this, as it assumes the reader knows what it refers to here. Lautrec was an amateur bartender of sorts who invented and popularized cocktails and was known to get his guests drunk on purpose.