The immense change that Europe went through was not reflected in any part of life as dramatically as it was in the arts. The struggle between the avant-garde and the conservative artists represented (politically, economically and culturally) the fear of the society against the unpredictable and the new. The depiction of the contradictions in the society visualized the undesired realities, and therefore, the more realist a painting was, the more it was attacked. The non-bourgeois activities were seen as degenerate and morally corrupt.

In Paris, by the last decade of the nineteenth century, a popular form of entertainment, 'quadrille naturaliste' (the street dances), became the object of attract

In 1891, Lautrec made a color lithograph called 'La Goulue au Moulin Rouge'. This poster announcing the new season in Moulin Rouge, was his most innovate product up to that period. As the spectators, there is a line of black silhouettes in the background. In the foreground, there is the profile of Valentin, again as a silhouette, but of a lighter color of brown. In the middle La Goulue performs her dance in a red and white dress. The three levels of depth composed by different colors and the yellow-red dominance of the poster allude to the passionate night-life of Paris, and moreover it is a direct invitation to this life. When the two works that I have mentioned are combined, the outcome is the mixture of popular culture, life of the common people, the street and a work of art intended for mediatic consumption.

In 1915, when Marcel Duchamp arrived in New York harbor, he not only changed the course of his carrier, but also the course of the twentieth century art. In an interview, he explained that he had not come to New York because he could not paint, but because he had no one to talk with . The account summarizes the fact that the cultural center of the Western world was moving from Europe, and mainly Paris, to New York. This move was not only a geographical one, it also signaled a total change in the European perception of art, and a rendering of avant-garde ideas within the unique culture of America. Duchamp made the following account in another interview: '...And I believe that your idea of demolishing old buildings and souvenirs, is fine...The dead should not be permitted to be so much stronger than the living.' For him European art was surely dead, and even 'Nude Descending a Staircase' was not worth of further discussion, since it was what to do that Duchamp cared and not what he had done .

Lautrec's extensive use of lines makes his work resemble a drawing rather than painting. His free treatment of figures gives the expression of a quick sketch. However, the most striking and distinctive characteristic of his work is the use of color. In terms of quantity he may be considered as a minimalist, but the quality and the representative power of his colors is incomparable to most of his contemporaries. The whole setting of the painting is based on a contrast between natural/soft colors and bright ones. A mixture of green and brown is dominant in the work. However, we see a line of three figures which contrast with the general color balance. In the foreground, there is the probable prostitute with the pink dress. In the middle, there is the female dancer who wears a light brown dress and bright red socks. Finally, at the very back there is another woman. She is dressed in red and with her lipsticks of the same color and the light colored hair she is the prominent figure of the background. She, too is probably a part of the Parisian night-life, but it is hard to tell her position. Nevertheless, the three figures make up a line of brightness within a setting which is very much homogenized in a boringly stereo-typical way. Therefore, the popular perception of the night-life (that Lautrec also shared) that takes it as a middle/lower class entertainment which can bring color to the highly ordered and bourgeois dominated social life, and which can 'carnivalize' it, is visually r

Some common words found in the essay are:
Moulin Rouge, Campbell's Soup, French Revolution, Mutt Case', Marcel Duchamp, Descending Staircase', La Goulue, Andy Warhol, Mona Lisa, Courrier Francais', popular culture, marcel duchamp, campbell soup, nineteenth century, 'nude descending staircase', moulin rouge, 'nude descending, andy warhol, descending staircase', york harry, york harry abrams, harry abrams,
Approximate Word count = 2244
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)