The Dixon is pleased to present the most ambitious exhibition in its thirty-five year history, Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne. This seminal retrospective of Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain (1852-1931) was produced in partnership with Paris’ Petit Palais and will be on view at the Dixon, its only American venue, from June 26 through October 9, 2011. Assembled from museum and private collections from across the globe, the once-in-a- generation exhibition traces the arc of the insightful artist’s prolific career with 130 representative paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, and decorative works spanning over a fifty-year time period, including twenty works from the Dixon’s own collection of 58 works by Forain. The last major Forain retrospective was held in 1978.
 
A protégé of Edgar Degas and mentor to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Forain captured the glittering spectacles and popular entertainments of fin-de-siècle Paris, including the ballet, opera, and racetrack and café life. An illustrator, printmaker and graphic artist, Forain published La Comédie Parisienne, a collection of social satire drawings accompanied by captions of biting wit in 1892. More than any other artist in the Impressionist circle, Forain was the great chronicler of Parisian life at the turn of the nineteenth century and become one of France’s best known and most influential and revered artists.  
 
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. stated that ―Memphis is thrilled to be the only American city to host this landmark exhibit of Jean-Louis Forain’s works.  My thanks and congratulations to Kevin Sharp and the entire staff of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens for bringing this remarkable and renowned show to our city.  Forain’s work beautifully and evocatively brought to life the vibrant people and communities of France and Mrs. Wharton and I cannot wait to see it for ourselves.  Exhibits like this further elevate Memphis’ national reputation as a city that knows how to appreciate and celebrate the fine arts.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Memphis and should not be missed."

This summer, visitors will discover Jean-Louis Forain’s contribution to the Impressionist movement through this retrospective and full schedule of special programming and events. The Dixon will be open late every Thursday night and French bistro fare will be served at Café Forain throughout the run of the exhibition. 

Dignitaries from the United States and France and guests from around the world will attend the exhibition’s opening events on June 25 and 26. The exhibition opens to the public on Sunday, June 26, 2011, at 1 pm.

La Fête Forain—June 25, 2011 
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens along with Mayor AC and Mrs. Wharton and other national and international dignitaries, will host La Fête Forain, a gala celebration on the evening of Saturday, June 25, to toast the arrival of Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne. La Fête Forain will feature haute cuisine with wine pairings created by renowned Memphis Master Chef Jose Gutierrez the recent recipient of the Toque d'Argent-Trophee Andre Surmain, the Chef of the Year award from the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Very special guests from around the world will enjoy an evening of Parisian glamour and live entertainment by the Pat Patrick Orchestra on the impressive south lawn of the Dixon’s 17 acres of gardens while providing support for this historic exhibition.
 
Café Forain—The Dixon will open a garden café, Café Forain, and serve sandwiches, salads, snacks and  beverages by Just for Lunch throughout the run of the exhibition. Open during regular museum hours and Thursday evenings until 9 pm.

Catalogue:  A 250-page, full-color catalogue and authored by Florence Valdes-Forain will published in both French and English. Valdes-Forain is the great-granddaughter of the artist and leading authority on his work. The book examines more than 200 of the Forain’s greatest works and will become the definitive study on the artist. 

The exhibition was organized by The Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts of the city of Paris, in collaboration with the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Memphis. Florence Valdès-Forain is the curator of the exhibition for both the Petit Palais and the Dixon.