HENRI DE TOULOUSE - LAUTREC - A Small Man but Enormous Artist

fig. 1
Portrait of Toulouse - Lautrec

In this essay I am going to introduce you a very talented and interesting man who contributed a lot to the development of new movement called Art Nouveau in 19^th century. Henri de Toulouse–Lautrec (fig. 1) was the French Post Impressionist, painter and print marker who is allowed to be the initiator of the modern poster. First of all I will take you through his childhood and family background. Further I will talk more about his progression and influences of becoming a successful artist. In the end I will go into Henri’s darker side and get in to his alcoholic lifestyle which destroyed him.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born on 24^th of November 1864 in Albi in the South of France to the one of the most aristocratic family. Already when he was a little boy his health was not very strong and was repeatedly sick. A lot of his health problems relate to the fact that his parents were first cousins and that is why his genes were deformed. Because of Henry being the only child, his mother (fig. 2) was to annoyingly overprotective.

fig. 2

Portrait of Henri's mother,

Comtesse Adele at breakfast,

Malrome Chateau (1881-1883)

Oil on canvas

Henri started to draw and paint even before he was 10 years old. In 1876 at his age of 12 he was so unlucky and broke his tight bone on the left leg and just two years later his right leg. During his recovery he loved to draw and paint which was giving him at least some part of satisfaction and it also helped him to take the mind away from all his troubles. Because of spending too much time in bed it was actually the only thing Henry could really do and so he began to concentrate on his art work even more than ever before. Unhappily Henry’s bones were broken so badly that they stopped growing and at his mature age he ended up only 1, 52 meters tall. Henry had a body of adult men but abnormally short legs which caused him problems with his walk. His parents knew that Henry want be able to do anything else apart of art and for that reason they tried to do as much as possible for their son in this field. Especially his mother was always very supportive and encouraged him in progression and provided Henry with personal tutors. On account of his physical problems and not ability to fit for anything else he really sticks up to his art career. As regards to his health he was not really endowed but if we talk about his talent it was exactly the other way around.

In 1882 as a 17 years old Toulouse – Lautrec was sent to school in Paris to progress his talent and started his training under a famous painter L. J. F. Bonnat. Later on he continued in his studies with another famous history painter Fernard Cormon. During his studies he became a friend with so many young artists which one of them was also Vincent Van Gogh. It took him 5 years to complete his academic training. He was influenced by many artists like Edgar Degas, Honore Davmier, Jean – Louis Forain, and Japonisme.

fig. 3

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1892)

Le Divan Japonais (Poster)

When Henry was 19 years old he rented his first own studio apartment in Montmartre district and started to work on his first commission which was to illustrate the latest novel for Victor Hugo. This move had a biggest impact on Henries work because the part of Paris where he lived was well known as the place for a pure people with low rent, a lot of nightclubs, Parisian brothels, circuses, dance halls and strip-bars. Henry loved to spend his time in these places and became a regular customer. All adventures and actions what he observed and experienced there every night, he put later into his creations. It did not last long and he started to drink heavily which caused him that he became an alcoholic. His lifestyle brings him a many problems and arguments with his aristocratic family, but in spite of the fact as an artist he was very successful.

fig. 4

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1894)

In the Salon of the Rue des Moulins

Oil on canvas

fig. 5

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1896)

The Toilette

Henri loved to put into his paintings famous cabaret dancers. One of them was Jane Avril (fig. 6) who was also his personal friend and model for a long time. Other favorite cabaret celebrities who he liked to paint were Yvette Guilbert, La Goulue (fig. 7) and her partner Valentin Le Desosse, who was an acrobat with a very flexible body. And not forget to mention the Aristide Brunat (fig. 8) who was a singer and manager of one of the most famous cabaret in Montmartre in Paris.

fig. 6

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1899)

Jane Avril Music Hall Performer

(Poster)

fig. 7

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1892)

La Goulue Arriving at the Mouling

Rouge with Two Women

Oil on cardboard

fig. 8

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1892)

Ambassadeurs: Aristide Bruant

Lithograph in six colors (poster)

In 1899, Henri was hospitalized by his mother into mental hospital because of his breakdown and alcoholism. After some time in sanatorium he created his beautiful pictures with circus theme and when the doctors saw Henri’s creations they admitted he is in sense and released him. Lautrec returned to work but his mother and friends were always keeping eyes on him. Unfortunately it was not to last long and in summer 1901 he’s got a stroke and shortly after died on 9^th September at his family home at Malrome, France. He was an unbelievably productive and during his short life he managed to produce enormous number of art work, including 737 canvases, 275 watercolors, 369 prints and posters, 4784 drawings and around 300 erotic works. Most of his work was placed in the museum at Albi which bears his name.

When I started to know Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec little bit more and I browsed through his paintings and most of his art creations, I absolutely fell in love with his work. I admire his inimitable style and his ability beautifully express the moment of every event. His art work is full of unbelievable expressions and filled with momentary atmosphere from different places. When I am looking at Henri’s work it is always breathing the atmosphere on me and takes my mind into storyline of the picture. I can also feel the emotions from his paintings and that is one of the reason why I absolutely adore him. Henri's production definitely does not leave you underwhelming. I have to say I genuinely fell in love with Toulouse – Lautrec’s work and one day I would be so delighted if I could have some of his pictures hanging on my wall. It is a shame that Henri’s behavior was not truly very careful with regard to his fragile health. Who knows, he maybe did not die so young if he did not fall into alcoholisms and drunk him self to death. It would be nice to have much more creations from this wonderful artist.

fig. 9

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1892)

The Kiss

Reference list:

Books:

Perruchot, H. (1963) Zivot Toulouse - Lautreca. Praha: Nakladatelstvi ceskoslovenskych vytvarnych umelcu

La Mure, P. (1966) Moulin Rouge. Praha: Svobodne slovo

Websites:

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (no date) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec [Online].

Available at: http://www.artchive.com/artchive/T/toulouse-lautrec.html

(Accessed: 1 May 2010)

WebMuseum: Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de (2002) WebMuseum, Paris [Online]. Available at:

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/toulouse-lautrec/

(Accessed: 1 May 2010)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec on artnet (2010) Artnet [Online]. Available at:

http://www.artnet.com/artist/16765/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec.html

(Accessed: 1 May 2010)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Biography-Renoir Fine Art Inc.(no date) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec [Online].

Available at: http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/lautrec.htm (Accessed. 2 May 2010)

Discover France Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French Painter (1999) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec [Online].

Available at: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Art/Lautrec/Lautrec.shtml (Accessed: 2 May 2010)

Toulouse Lautrec Biography-artelino (2010) Toulouse Lautrec - Biography 1864-1901 [Online].

Available at: http://www.artelino.com/articles/toulouse_lautrec.asp (Accessed: 2 May 2010)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Biography (2010) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec [Online].

Available at: http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Toulouse-Lautrec-Henri-de.html

(Accessed: 3 May 2010)

Video:

NeedToKnowHistory (2009) All You Need To Know About Toulouse Lautrec.

Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIxzlo8VARg

(Accessed 5 May 2010)

Images:

1.

Miller, L. Portrait of Toulouse–Lautrec [Online]. Available at:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg827KxJt472fGd2yU6FMFWjV3dJu5v5XxmzN1-xmBCWyazb4N24QXBBGQrHLKaQMLB3av2Mfg936VpEwmTvWUz_M1CZHbk_K5qSZCeZDCtTyAK4eheuqkUkkz7L_tikiuLeOT0-ZOnh8ZN/s1600-r/Portrait+of+Toulouse-LautrecA.jpg (Accessed 3 May 2010)

2.

Toulouse–Lautrec, H. (1881-1883) Portrait of Toulouse's mother [Online]. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lautrec_the_artist%27s_mother_comtesse_adele_de_toulouse-lautrec_at_breakfast,_malrom%C3%A9_chateau_c1881-3.jpg (Accessed: 30 May 2010)

3.

Toulouse–Lautrec, H. (1892) Le Divan Japonais [Online]. Available at:

http://laimagenenelsigloxix.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/86555_toulouse-lautrec-divan-japonais.jpg

(Accessed: 3 May 2010)

4.

Toulouse-Lautrec, H. (1894) In the Salon of the Rue des Moulins [Online]. Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDmX3xIqr6hsMGbc0DHvX1Y7BEEFRqN5UahabvTCQ9UtlLt_vid6up8VZ4pFJ0_B_Aj0Wf5SLRmHFo8lTcC_eklQmeIg6wRVhdY-hurzvfvvjqGwinrW7lH9rN9QMtk3zpCWkyHvQygA/s320/300px-Henri_de_Toulouse-Lautrec_012.jpg (Accessed: 3 May 2010)

5.

Toulouse–Lautrec, H. (1896) The Toilette [Online]. Available at:

http://www.fineartprintsondemand.com/artists/toulouse-lautrec/la_toilette-400.jpg

(Accessed: 3 May 2010)

6.

Toulouse–Lautrec, H. (1899) Jane Avril Music Hall Performer [Online]. Available at: http://www.berkshirelinks.com/berkshires-news/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/clark-l-t.jpg

(Accessed: 3 May 2010)

7.

Toulouse–Lautrec, H. (1892) La Goulue Arriving at the Mouling Rouge with Two Women [Online].

Available at: http://www.listphile.com/Famous_Left_Handed_People/Henri_de_Toulouse_Lautrec/image/434px-Toulouse-Lautrec_-_La_Goulue_arrivant_au_Moulin_Rouge.jpg (Accessed 3 May 2010)

8.

Toulouse–Lautrec,H.(1892) Ambassadeurs: Aristide Bruant, Lithograph in six colors [Online].

Available at: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/IMAGES/HAD/7115.jpg (Accessed: 3 May 2010)

9.

Toulouse–Lautrec,H.(1892) The Kiss [Online]. Available at:

http://www.writedesignonline.com/resources/design/rules/TheKiss.jpg

(Accessed 3 May 2010)