Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French
painter,
printmaker,
draughtsman,
caricaturist
A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures.
List of caricaturists
* Abed Abdi (born 1942)
* Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003)
* Alex Gard (1900–1948)
* Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977)
* Alfred Grévin (1827–1892)
* Alf ...
and
illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the late 19th century allowed him to produce a collection of enticing, elegant, and provocative images of the sometimes decadent affairs of those times.
Born into the
aristocracy, Toulouse-Lautrec broke both his legs around the time of his adolescence and, due to the rare condition
Pycnodysostosis
Pycnodysostosis (from Greek: πυκνός (puknos) meaning "dense", ''dys'' ("defective"), and ''ostosis'' ("condition of the bone")), is a lysosomal storage disease of the bone caused by a mutation in the gene that codes the enzyme cathepsin K ...
, was very short as an adult due to his undersized legs. In addition to his
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, he developed an affinity for
brothels and
prostitutes that directed the subject matter for many of his works recording many details of the late-19th-century
bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
lifestyle in Paris. Toulouse-Lautrec is among the painters described as being
Post-Impressionists
Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction aga ...
, with
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...
,
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
,
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...
, and
Georges Seurat
Georges Pierre Seurat ( , , ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough su ...
also commonly considered as belonging in this loose group.
In a 2005 auction at
Christie's auction house, ''
La Blanchisseuse'', his early painting of a young laundress, sold for US$22.4 million, setting a new record for the artist for a price at auction.
Early life
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa was born at the Hôtel du Bosc in
Albi
Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...
,
Tarn, in the
Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées (; oc, Miègjorn-Pirenèus or ; es, Mediodía-Pirineos) is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Occitania. It was the largest region of Metropolitan France by ar ...
region of France, the firstborn child of Alphonse Charles ''
Comte'' de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (1838–1913) and his wife Adèle Zoë Tapié de Celeyran (1841–1930). He was a member of an aristocratic family (descended from both the
Counts of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse ( oc, comte de Tolosa, french: comte de Toulouse) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surroundin ...
and
Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec
Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec (1485 – 15 August 1528) was a French military leader. As Marshal of France, he commanded the campaign to conquer Naples, but died from the bubonic plague in 1528.
Biography
Odet was the son of Jean de Foix ...
and the
Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...
s of
Montfa, in southern France). His younger brother was born in 1867 but died the following year. Both sons enjoyed the
''titres de courtoisie'' of ''
Comte''. If Henri had outlived his father, he would have been accorded the family
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
of ''
Comte de Toulouse-Lautrec''.
After the death of his brother, Toulouse-Lautrec's parents separated and a
nanny
A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
eventually took care of him.
[Author Unknown, "Toulouse-Lautrec" – published Grange Books.]
Bookfinder – Toulouse Lautrec
/ref> At the age of eight, Toulouse-Lautrec began living with his mother in Paris, where he drew sketches and caricatures in his exercise workbooks. The family quickly realised that his talents lay in drawing and painting. A friend of his father, René Princeteau
René Pierre Charles Princeteau (18 July 1843 – 31 January 1914) was a French animal painter.
Life
René Princeteau was born in Libourne into a noble family. He was deaf and mute from birth. He studied at the Institut National de Jeunes Sourds ...
, sometimes visited to give informal lessons. Some of Toulouse-Lautrec's early paintings are of horses, a speciality of Princeteau, and a subject Lautrec revisited in his "Circus Paintings".[
In 1875, Toulouse-Lautrec returned to Albi because his mother had concerns about his health. He took ]thermal baths
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as baln ...
at Amélie-les-Bains, and his mother consulted doctors in the hope of finding a way to improve her son's growth and development.[
]
Disability and health problems
Toulouse-Lautrec's parents were first cousins
Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...
(his grandmothers were sisters), and his congenital health conditions were attributed to a family history of inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
.
At the age of 13, Toulouse-Lautrec fractured his right femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates wit ...
, and at 14, he fractured his left femur. The breaks did not heal properly. Modern physicians attribute this to an unknown genetic disorder
A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...
, possibly pycnodysostosis
Pycnodysostosis (from Greek: πυκνός (puknos) meaning "dense", ''dys'' ("defective"), and ''ostosis'' ("condition of the bone")), is a lysosomal storage disease of the bone caused by a mutation in the gene that codes the enzyme cathepsin K ...
(sometimes known as Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome), or a variant disorder along the lines of osteopetrosis
Osteopetrosis, literally "stone bone", also known as marble bone disease or Albers-Schönberg disease, is an extremely rare inherited disorder whereby the bones harden, becoming denser, in contrast to more prevalent conditions like osteoporosis ...
, achondroplasia
Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism. In those with the condition, the arms and legs are short, while the torso is typically of normal length. Those affected ha ...
, or osteogenesis imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta (; OI), colloquially known as brittle bone disease, is a group of genetic disorders that all result in bones that break easily. The range of symptoms—on the skeleton as well as on the body's other organs—may b ...
. Rickets
Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping. Complications ma ...
aggravated by praecox virilism has also been suggested. Afterward, his legs ceased to grow, so that as an adult he was . He developed an adult-sized torso while retaining his child-sized legs. Additionally, he is reported to have had hypertrophied
Hypertrophy is the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells. It is distinguished from hyperplasia, in which the cells remain approximately the same size but increase in number.Updated by Linda J ...
genitals.
Physically unable to participate in many activities enjoyed by boys his age, Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in art. After initially failing college entrance exams, he passed his second attempt and completed his studies.
Paris
During a stay in Nice, France, his progress in painting and drawing impressed Princeteau, who persuaded Toulouse-Lautrec's parents to allow him return to Paris and study under the portrait painter Léon Bonnat
Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
Early life
Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...
. He returned to Paris in 1882. Toulouse-Lautrec's mother had high ambitions and, with the aim of her son becoming a fashionable and respected painter, used their family's influence to gain him entry to Bonnat's studio. He was drawn to Montmartre
Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...
, the area of Paris known for its bohemian lifestyle and the haunt of artists, writers, and philosophers. Studying with Bonnat placed Toulouse-Lautrec in the heart of Montmartre, an area he rarely left over the next 20 years.
After Bonnat took a new job, Toulouse-Lautrec moved to the studio of Fernand Cormon
Fernand Cormon (24 December 1845 – 20 March 1924) was a French painter born in Paris. He became a pupil of Alexandre Cabanel, Eugène Fromentin, and Jean-François Portaels, and one of the leading historical painters of modern France.
Biogra ...
in 1882 and studied for a further five years and established the group of friends he kept for the rest of his life. At this time, he met Émile Bernard
Émile Henri Bernard (28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his nota ...
and Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
. Cormon, whose instruction was more relaxed than Bonnat's, allowed his pupils to roam Paris, looking for subjects to paint. During this period, Toulouse-Lautrec had his first encounter with a prostitute (reputedly sponsored by his friends), which led him to paint his first painting of a prostitute in Montmartre
Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...
, a woman rumoured to be Marie-Charlet.
Early career
In 1885, Toulouse-Lautrec began to exhibit his work at the cabaret of Aristide Bruant's ''Mirliton''.
With his studies finished, in 1887, he participated in an exposition in Toulouse using the pseudonym "Tréclau", the verlan
() is a type of argot in the French language, featuring inversion of syllables in a word, and is common in slang and youth language. It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words. The wor ...
of the family name "Lautrec". He later exhibited in Paris with Van Gogh and Louis Anquetin
Louis Émile Anquetin (26 January 1861 – 19 August 1932) was a French painter.
Biography
Anquetin was born in Étrépagny, France, and educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen.
In 1882 he came to Paris and began studying art at Lé ...
.
In 1885, Toulouse-Lautrec met Suzanne Valadon
Suzanne Valadon (23 September 18657 April 1938) was a French painter who was born Marie-Clémentine Valadon at Bessines-sur-Gartempe, Haute-Vienne, France. In 1894, Valadon became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des ...
. He made several portraits of her and supported her ambition as an artist. It is believed that they were lovers and that she wanted to marry him. Their relationship ended, and Valadon attempted suicide in 1888.
Rise to recognition
In 1888, the Belgian critic Octave Maus
Octave Maus (12 June 1856 – 26 November 1919) was a Belgian art critic, writer and lawyer.
Maus worked with fellow writer/lawyer Edmond Picard, and they together with Victor Arnould and Eugène Robert founded the weekly '' L'Art moderne'' ...
invited him to present eleven pieces at the ''Vingt'' (the 'Twenties') exhibition in Brussels in February. Theo van Gogh, the artist's brother, bought ''Poudre de Riz'' (Rice Powder) for 150 francs for the Goupil & Cie
Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. Goupil & Cie became a leading art dealership in 19th-century France, with its headquart ...
gallery.
From 1889 until 1894, Toulouse-Lautrec took part in the Salon des Indépendants
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (Pa ...
regularly. He made several landscapes of Montmartre. Tucked deep into Montmartre in the garden of Monsieur Pere Foret, Toulouse-Lautrec executed a series of pleasant en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
paintings of Carmen Gaudin, the same red-headed model who appears in ''The Laundress'' (1888).
In 1890, during the banquet of the XX exhibition in Brussels, he challenged to a duel the artist Henri de Groux who criticised van Gogh's works. Paul Signac
Paul Victor Jules Signac ( , ; 11 November 1863 – 15 August 1935) was a French Neo-Impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the Pointillist style.
Biography
Paul Signac was born in Paris on 11 November 1863. ...
also declared he would continue to fight for Van Gogh's honour if Lautrec was killed. De Groux apologised for the slight and left the group and the duel never took place.
Toulouse-Lautrec contributed several illustrations to the magazine ''Le Rire
''Le Rire'' (, "Laughter") was a successful French humor magazine published from October 1894 until its final issue in April 1971. Founded in Paris during the Belle Époque by Felix Juven, ''Le Rire'' appeared as typical Parisians began to ach ...
'' during the mid-1890s.
Interactions with women
In addition to his growing alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, Toulouse-Lautrec also visited prostitutes
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
. He was fascinated by their lifestyle and the lifestyle of the "urban underclass
The underclass is the segment of the population that occupies the lowest possible position in a class hierarchy, below the core body of the working class.
The general idea that a class system includes a population ''under'' the working class has ...
" and incorporated those characters into his paintings. Fellow painter Édouard Vuillard
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, he was a prominent member of the Nabis, making paintings which assembled areas of pure color, and interior sc ...
later said that while Toulouse-Lautrec did engage in sex with prostitutes, "the real reasons for his behaviour were moral ones ... Lautrec was too proud to submit to his lot, as a physical freak, an aristocrat cut off from his kind by his grotesque appearance. He found an affinity between his condition and the moral penury of the prostitute."
The girls in the brothels inspired Toulouse-Lautrec. He would frequently visit one located in Rue d'Amboise, where he had a favourite called Mireille. He created about a hundred drawings and fifty paintings inspired by the life of these women. In 1892 and 1893, he created a series of two women kissing called ''Le Lit
''Le Lit'' is a 1982 drama film directed by Marion Hänsel and based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Dominique Rolin. The film starred Heinz Bennent, Natasha Parry, and Johan Leysen. ''Le Lit'' received the André Cavens Award for Best Fil ...
'', and in 1894 painted '' Salón de la Rue des Moulins'' from memory in his studio.
He declared, "A model is always a stuffed doll, but these women are alive. I wouldn't venture to pay them the hundred sous to sit for me, and god knows whether they would be worth it. They stretch out on the sofas like animals, make no demand and they are not in the least bit conceited." He was well appreciated by the ladies, saying, "I have found girls of my own size! Nowhere else do I feel so much at home".
The Moulin Rouge
When the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
opened in 1889, Toulouse-Lautrec was commissioned to produce a series of posters. His mother had left Paris and, though he had a regular income from his family, making posters offered him a living of his own. Other artists looked down on the work, but he ignored them. The cabaret reserved a seat for him and displayed his paintings. Among the works that he painted for the Moulin Rouge and other Parisian nightclubs are depictions of the singer Yvette Guilbert
Yvette Guilbert (; born Emma Laure Esther Guilbert, 20 January 1865 – 3 February 1944) was a French cabaret singer and actress of the '' Belle Époque''.
Biography
Born in Paris into a poor family as Emma Laure Esther Guilbert, Guilbert b ...
; the dancer Louise Weber, better known as La Goulue
La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...
(The Glutton) who created the French can-can; and the much subtler dancer Jane Avril
Jane Avril (9 June 186817 January 1943) was a French can-can dancer made famous by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec through his paintings. Extremely thin, "given to jerky movements and sudden contortions", she was nicknamed ''La Mélinite'', after a ...
.
London
Toulouse-Lautrec's family was Anglophilic
An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Latin word ''Anglii'' and Ancient Greek word φίλος ''philos'', meaning "frien ...
, and though he was not as fluent as he pretended to be, he spoke English well enough. He travelled to London, where he was commissioned by the J. & E. Bella company to make a poster advertising their paper confetti
Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar, or metallic material which are usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''co ...
(plaster confetti was banned after the 1892 Mardi Gras) and the bicycle advert ''La Chaîne Simpson''.
While in London, he met and befriended Oscar Wilde. When Wilde faced imprisonment in Britain, Toulouse-Lautrec became a very vocal supporter of him, and his portrait of Oscar Wilde was painted the same year as Wilde's trial.
Alcoholism
Toulouse-Lautrec was mocked for his short stature and physical appearance, which may have contributed to his abuse of alcohol.
He initially drank only beer and wine, but his tastes expanded into liquor, namely absinthe. The "Earthquake Cocktail" ''(Tremblement de Terre)'' is attributed to Toulouse-Lautrec: a potent mixture containing half absinthe and half cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cognac production falls under French appella ...
in a wine goblet. Due to his underdeveloped legs, he walked with the aid of a cane, which he hollowed out and kept filled with liquor in order to ensure that he was never without alcohol.
Cooking skills
A fine and hospitable cook, Toulouse-Lautrec built up a collection of favourite recipes – some original, some adapted – which were posthumously published by his friend and dealer Maurice Joyant as ''L'Art de la Cuisine''. The book was republished in English translation in 1966 as ''The Art of Cuisine'' – a tribute to his inventive (and wide-ranging) cooking.
Death
By February 1899, Toulouse-Lautrec's alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
began to take its toll and he collapsed from exhaustion. His family had him committed to Folie Saint-James, a sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
in Neuilly-sur-Seine for three months. While he was committed, he drew 39 circus portraits. After his release, he returned to the Paris studio for a time and then travelled throughout France. His physical and mental health began to decline rapidly owing to alcoholism and syphilis, which he reportedly contracted from Rosa La Rouge, a prostitute who was the subject of several of his paintings.
On 9 September 1901, at the age of 36, he died from complications due to alcoholism and syphilis at his mother's estate, Château Malromé
The Château Malromé is located in the commune Saint-André-du-Bois, in the French department of Gironde. It became the home of the mother of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Vineyard
The vineyard of Malromé, which covers a surface area o ...
, in Saint-André-du-Bois
Saint-André-du-Bois (; oc, Sant Andrieu deu Bòi) is a Communes of France, commune in the Gironde Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
Refere ...
. He is buried in Cimetière de Verdelais, Gironde, a few kilometres from the estate. His last words reportedly were "Le vieux con!" ("The old fool!"), his goodbye to his father, though another version has been suggested, in which he used the word "hallali", a term used by huntsmen at the moment the hounds kill their prey: "Je savais, Papa, que vous ne manqueriez pas l'hallali." ("I knew, papa, that you wouldn't miss the death.")
After Toulouse-Lautrec's death, his mother, Adèle '' Comtesse'' de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, and his art dealer, Maurice Joyant, continued promoting his artwork. His mother contributed funds for a museum to be created in Albi
Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...
, his birthplace, to show his works. This Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is an art museum in Albi, southern France, dedicated mainly to the work of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who was born in Albi. The 13th century building was originally the Bishop's Palace of Albi Cathedral, nex ...
owns the most extensive collection of his works.
Art
In a career of less than 20 years, Toulouse-Lautrec created:
* 737 canvassed paintings
* 275 watercolours
* 363 prints and posters
* 5,084 drawings
* some ceramic and stained-glass work
* an unknown number of lost works
His debt to the Impressionists
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
, particularly the more figurative painters like Manet
A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) or mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a decentralized type of wireless network. The network is ad hoc because it does not rely on a pre-existing infrastructure, such as routers in wired networks or access points ...
and Degas
Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings.
Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...
, is apparent, that within his works, one can draw parallels to the detached barmaid at ''A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
''A Bar at the Folies-Bergère'' (french: Un bar aux Folies Bergère) is a painting by Édouard Manet, considered to be his last major work. It was painted in 1882 and exhibited at the Paris Salon of that year. It depicts a scene in the Folies ...
'' by Manet and the behind-the-scenes ballet dancers of Degas. His style was also influenced by the classical Japanese woodprints, which became popular in art circles in Paris.
He excelled at depicting people in their working environments, with the colour and movement of the gaudy nightlife present but the glamour stripped away. He was a master at painting crowd scenes where each figure was highly individualised. At the time they were painted, the individual figures in his larger paintings could be identified by silhouette ''alone'', and the names of many of these characters have been recorded. His treatment of his subject matter, whether as portraits, in scenes of Parisian nightlife, or as intimate studies, has been described as alternately "sympathetic" and "dispassionate".
Toulouse-Lautrec's skilled depiction of people relied on his highly linear
Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...
approach emphasising contour
Contour may refer to:
* Contour (linguistics), a phonetic sound
* Pitch contour
* Contour (camera system), a 3D digital camera system
* Contour, the KDE Plasma 4 interface for tablet devices
* Contour line, a curve along which the function ha ...
s. He often applied paint in long, thin brushstrokes leaving much of the board visible. Many of his works may be best described as "drawings in coloured paint."
On 20 August 2018, Toulouse-Lautrec was the featured artist on the BBC television program ''Fake or Fortune?
''Fake or Fortune?'' is a BBC One documentary television series which examines the provenance and attribution of notable artworks. Since the first series aired in 2011, ''Fake or Fortune?'' has drawn audiences of up to 5 million viewers in t ...
''. Researchers attempted to discover whether he created two discovered sketchbooks.
In popular culture
Films
*''Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
'' (1952): A film about the artist, portrayed by José Ferrer
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors during his lifetime, w ...
*'' Casino Royale'' (1967): Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
) dresses as Toulouse-Lautrec for Vesper Lynde (Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...
)
*''The Aristocats
''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom R ...
'' (1970): In this animated film, Toulouse, the oldest kitten, is voiced by Gary Dubin
*'' Revenge of the Pink Panther'' (1978): Inspector Clouseau
Inspector Jacques Clouseau (), later granted the rank of Chief Inspector, is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' farcical '' The Pink Panther'' series. He is portrayed by Peter Sellers in the original series, and also by Alan Arkin in ...
(Peter Sellers) disguises himself as Toulouse-Lautrec
*'' Lautrec'' (1998): A French biographical film directed by Roger Planchon
Roger Planchon (born 12 September 1931 in Saint-Chamond, Loire, died on 12 May 2009 in Paris), was a French playwright, director, and filmmaker.
Biography
Roger Planchon spent his childhood in the Ardèche, notably in Dornas. He found its inspir ...
*''Moulin Rouge!
''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows a young English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and cour ...
'' (2001): A musical film in which the artist is a supporting character, portrayed by John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
*''Midnight in Paris
''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialis ...
'' (2011): A fantasy involving time travel. He is a supporting character, portrayed by Vincent Menjou Cortes
Literature
*'' Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art'', by Christopher Moore, in which the ''bon vivant'' artist plays the role of co-detective with the fictional lead, Lucien Lessard, in trying to unravel the death of mutual friend Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
.
*'' Lust for Life'' (1934), historical novel based on the life of Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
.
*''Moulin Rouge (novel)
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Oly ...
'', by Pierre La Mure
Pierre La Mure (15 June 1909 – 28 December 1976) was a French author.
La Mure was born in Nice, in department Alpes-Maritimes. He published the 1950 novel ''Moulin Rouge'' about the life of the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This bo ...
(1950), historical novel based on the life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Selected works
:''See also :Paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.''
Paintings
File:14 oct 14 violets vase toulouse.jpg, ''Bouquet of violets in a vase'', 1882, oil on panel, Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is an art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In the 1970s, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Art ...
File:Portrait de Suzanne Valadon (Madame Suzanne Valadon, artiste peintre) - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.jpg, '' Portrait de Suzanne Valadon'', 1885, oil on canvas, Museum, Buenos Aires
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 018.jpg, '' The Laundress'', 1884–1888, oil on canvas, private collection
File:Toulouse-Lautrec de Henri Vincent van Gogh Sun.jpg, '' Portrait of Vincent van Gogh'', 1887, pastel on cardboard, Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opene ...
, Amsterdam
File:Lautrec equestrienne (at the cirque fernando) 1887-8.jpg, ''Equestrienne (At the Circus Fernando)'', 1888, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French - At the Moulin Rouge- The Dance - Google Art Project.jpg, ''At the Moulin Rouge
''At the Moulin Rouge'' (french: Au Moulin Rouge) is an oil-on- canvas painting by French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It was painted between 1892 and 1895. Included in the background is a self-portrait of the artist in profile. It is one ...
'' 1890, oil on canvas, Philadelphia Museum of Art
File:Lautrec gabrielle 1891.jpg, ''Portrait of Gabrielle'', 1891, oil on cardboard, Museum Toulouse-Lautrec
File:Toulouse-Lautrec - La Goulue arrivant au Moulin Rouge.jpg, ''La Goulue
La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...
arriving at the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
'', 1892, oil on cardboard, Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892, Deux femmes dansant au Moulin-Rouge, oil on cardboard, 93 x 80 cm, National Gallery in Prague.jpg, ''At the Moulin Rouge (Two Women Waltzing)'', 1892, oil on cardboard, National Gallery in Prague
The National Gallery Prague ( cz, Národní galerie Praha, NGP), formerly the National Gallery in Prague (), is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, which manages the largest collection of art in the Czech Republic and presents masterpieces of Cze ...
File:Lautrec a corner in a dance hall 1892.jpg, ''Un coin du Moulin de la Galette'', National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge, 1892.jpg, '' The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge'', 1892, oil on cardboard, Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Toulouse-Lautrec - Quadrille NGA.jpg, ''Quadrille at the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
'', 1892, oil and gouache on cardboard, National Gallery of Art
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892, Wadsworth Atheneum.jpg, ''Jane Avril
Jane Avril (9 June 186817 January 1943) was a French can-can dancer made famous by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec through his paintings. Extremely thin, "given to jerky movements and sudden contortions", she was nicknamed ''La Mélinite'', after a ...
leaving the Moulin Rouge'', c.1892, oil and gouache on cardboard, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
The Wadsworth Atheneum is an art museum in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is noted for its collections of European Baroque art, ancient Egyptian and Classical bronzes, French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School lands ...
File:Lautrec in bed 1893.jpg, '' In Bed'', 1893, oil on cardboard, Musée d'Orsay
File:Rue des Moulins, 1894 sc001208.jpg, ''The Medical Inspection'' at the Rue des Moulins Brothel, 1894, oil on cardboard on wood, National Gallery of Art
File:Marcelle Lender Dancing the Bolero in Chilpéric A24275.jpg, ''Marcelle Lender Dancing the Bolero in "Chilpéric"'', 1895–96, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art
(Albi) Un examen à la faculté de Médecine de Paris - Toulouse-Lautrec 1901 MTL.216.jpg, ''Examination at faculty of medicine'', May–July 1901, oil on canvas – his last painting, Museum Toulouse-Lautrec
Posters
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 003.jpg, ''Aristide Bruant
Aristide Bruant (; 6 May 1851 – 11 February 1925) was a French cabaret singer, comedian, and nightclub owner. He is best known as the man in the red scarf and black cape featured on certain famous posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He ...
in his cabaret'', 1892, lithography print
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 002.jpg, ''Ambassadeurs – Aristide Bruant'', 1892, lithography print
File:Lautrec reine de joie (poster) 1892.jpg, ''Reine de Joie'', 1892, chromolithography
Chromolithography is a method for making multi-colour prints. This type of colour printing stemmed from the process of lithography, and includes all types of lithography that are printed in colour. When chromolithography is used to reproduce ph ...
print
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - Divan Japonais - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Divan Japonais'', 1892–93, crayon, brush, spatter and transferred screen lithograph, printed in 4 color-layers
File:Jane Avril by Toulouse-Lautrec.jpeg, ''Avril'' (Jane Avril
Jane Avril (9 June 186817 January 1943) was a French can-can dancer made famous by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec through his paintings. Extremely thin, "given to jerky movements and sudden contortions", she was nicknamed ''La Mélinite'', after a ...
), 1893, lithography printed in five colors
File:Lautrec babylone d'allemagne (poster for 'the german babylon') 1894.jpg, ''The German Babylon'', 1894, lithography published by Victor Joze
Other
File:Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Au Nouveau Cirque, Papa Chrysanthème, c.1894, stained glass, 120 x 85 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.jpg, With Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...
, ''Au Nouveau Cirque, Papa Chrysanthème'', c.1894, stained glass, 120 x 85 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
File:HTLMissIdaHeath.JPG, ''Miss Ida Heath'', 1894, crayon and brush lithograph with scraper
File:HTLBoxWithGildedMask.png, ''The Box with the Gilded Mask'', 1894, color crayon, brush and spatter lithograph with scraper
File:(Albi) Le Jockey - 1899 - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - Musée Toulouse-Lautrec.jpg, ''The Jockey'', 1899, lithograph, in color , Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is an art museum in Albi, southern France, dedicated mainly to the work of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who was born in Albi. The 13th century building was originally the Bishop's Palace of Albi Cathedral, nex ...
File:Paula Brébion (from Le Café Concert) MET DP835460.jpg, Paula Brébion (from Le Café Concert series) Brush lithograph printed in light olive-green on wove paper, 1893, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
Photos of Toulouse-Lautrec
File:Guibert 5.jpg, Photo by Maurice Guibert
Maurice Guibert (12 August 1856 – 13 January 1922) was a French photographer best known today as a friend of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
He was an agent for the champagne company Moët and Chandon and a member of the Société française de pho ...
c.1887
File:Guibert 3.jpg, Photo by Maurice Guibert, 1892
File:Guibert 4.jpg, Photo by Maurice Guibert
File:Toulouse-Lautrec in his workshop with a nude model (photo by Maurice Guibert).jpg, With a nude model in his studio, by Maurice Guibert
See also
* Art Nouveau posters and graphic arts
Art Nouveau posters and graphic arts flourished and became an important vehicle of the style, thanks to the new technologies of color lithography and color printing, which allowed the creation of and distribution of the style to a vast audience in ...
* Salon des Cent
''Salon des Cent'' ("Salon of the One Hundred") was a commercial art exhibition in Paris, based at 31 Rue Bonaparte.
The ''Salon'' sold color posters, prints and reproductions of artwork to the general public at reasonable prices. It was establi ...
* Les Maîtres de l'Affiche
''Maîtres de l'Affiche'' (Masters of the Poster) refers to 256 color lithographic plates used to create an art publication during the Belle Époque in Paris, France. The collection, reproduced from the original works of ninety-seven artists in a ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre at the National Gallery of Art
''Young woman at a table'', 'Poudre de riz', 1887 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Collection Van Gogh Museum
Toulouse Lautrec Museum
Bibliothèque numérique de l'INHA - Estampes de Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French National Institute of Art – Prints of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec)
''Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril beyond the Moulin Rouge'' - Courtauld Gallery, London
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri
French male painters
Post-impressionist painters
1864 births
1901 deaths
Art Nouveau illustrators
Art Nouveau painters
French erotic artists
French illustrators
French poster artists
Counts of France
Artists with disabilities
French people with disabilities
Lycée Condorcet alumni
People from Albi
Alcohol-related deaths in France
Deaths from syphilis
Burials in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
19th-century French painters
19th-century French male artists
20th-century French painters
20th-century French male artists
20th-century French printmakers
People of Montmartre
Moulin Rouge