Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
(1864–)
(–1901)
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
1864–1901
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator born in Albi, a town on the Tarn River in southern France. He was a well-known post-Impressionist painter who was embroiled in the theatrical life of Parisian cabarets, brothels, and alcohol at the turn of the twentieth century. His resulting artworks aptly illuminated the affairs and character of the nightlife of the time.
Born into an aristocratic family, Toulouse-Lautrec moved to Paris in his youth where he began to draw. Family friend René Princetau would often visit to give him formal drawing lessons. In separate incidents during his teen years, he broke both of his legs due to a rare genetic disease known as Pycnodysostosis or Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome. His injuries forced him to return from Paris to his hometown to recover. After healing, his legs stopped growing and were severely weakened, stunting his growth at four feet eight inches and making it difficult for him to walk. His various health conditions are attributed to the familial connection between his parents who were first cousins. Despite the difficulties caused by his brittle bones, his long recovery gave him a lot of time to focus on improving his drawing. While his father did not support his artistic career, Toulouse-Lautrec was supported by his mother throughout his life.
The social isolation that Lautrec experienced as a result of his height gave him a satirical and self-deprecating sensibility. It also led him to drink heavily, and it may have influenced his interest in marginalized aspects of society which became the subject of much of his work.
In 1882, Toulouse-Lautrec returned to Paris to study in the studios of Léon Bonnat and Fernand Cormon. In 1887, he got his own studio in Montmartre and began exhibiting his work. At this time, he was producing landscapes and plein-air paintings of various models. His paintings captured a strong sense of movement, often situating his figures in active relationships with their surroundings, obscuring their anatomy, or using dramatic juxtapositions of colour to create a sense of dynamic movement and rhythm. He is known for his paintings of sex workers, such as his series Elles. Rather than representing these individuals as erotic objects or outsiders, Toulouse-Lautrec’s depictions sensitively captured the nuance, depth, and human aspects of their lives. Unlike other works of the time, these images captured the essence of the women rather than moral ideals set by society.
Toulouse-Lautrec also bridged an important gap between advertising and the fine arts through his work as a poster painter who depicted many of Paris’ most popular performers. His posters focused on the performers, exaggerating their identifiable characteristics to capture the essence of their personality and create recognizable caricatures. The style of his posters was influenced by the flat bold colours, strong outlines, and irregular crops and angles found in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Furthermore, with the emergence of new technologies in lithography, Toulouse-Lautrec was constantly innovating his use of colour, texture, and printing techniques.
In 1899, Toulouse-Lautrec’s drinking increased, and he suffered from a breakdown after his mother, his most significant support system, left Paris. He was committed to a sanatorium to help aid his recovery, however, in 1901, his heavy drinking and other ailments, including Syphilis, led to a fatal stroke at the age of 36. Toulouse-Lautrec left behind an extensive body of work after his death, and his mother created the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in his hometown of Albi. Located in the Palais de la Berbie, the museum is home to the largest public collection of his work in the world. His work has been extensively exhibited and can be found in numerous public and private collections internationally.
