Monogram (autograph)1 Masterpiece Moments – 5 th Grade Prairie Star Elementary, Leawood, KS created by Sonya Butler, February 2013

 was a French artist most recognized for his realistic paintings and lithographs (posters) celebrating Montmartre – a famous entertainment district in Paris, France.  is considered as one of the top Post-Impressionist painters & Art Nouveau printmakers.  over a short career of less than 20 years “created 737 canvases, 363 posters & prints, 275 watercolors, 5,084 drawings, some photography, ceramic and stained glass work, and an unknown number of lost works.” 2 “I don’t want to make things beautiful, I want to make them real.” Self-Portrait. Caricature Post-Impressionism. Ink

 Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, known simply as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, was born on 24 November, 1864 in the provincial town of Albi, Tarn in southwestern France.  He was the first-born son of the Comte Alphonse and Comtesse Adele de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of the oldest and most prestigious aristocratic families of France; he had a brother born in 1867 that lived for just a year.  Henri was born with a number of congenital health conditions and at the age of 13 fractured his right thigh bone and at 14 his left thigh bone – neither of which healed properly. As a result his legs ceased growing and as an adult he stood just at 5’ tall, with an adult-sized torso and child-sized legs – requiring the use of a cane.  Often bedridden and unable to participate in many physical activities, Henri’s mother encouraged him to begin drawing and painting; his sketch of Two Riders on Horseback featured his favorite early subject – horses. By the age of 16, Henri had sketched over 2,400 drawings! Two Riders on Horseback  At the age of 18, Henri moved to Paris with his mother to study painting with two academic painters Leon Bonnat and Fernand Corman.  Henri studied and became life-long friends with fellow avant-garde French artists Emile Bernard and Vincent Van Gogh – painting portraits of both. Emile Bernard and Vincent Van Gogh

 Considered among the “most modern” of the Post-Impressionist artists, Lautrec is recognized for portraying realism, the increased use of colorful abstract design and embracing commercial art.  His artistic hero was Edgar Degas, whom he greatly admired for his innovative framing, lighting and perspective of his subjects.  Toulouse-Lautrec was most interested in depicting people and life as it happened around him. He did not like to use posed models or portray grand images. He focused on capturing the emotion and more important elements of the subject, and did not care to include the small details.depicting people and life as it happened around him  As in the painting At The Moulin Rouge, The Dance, Toulouse-Lautrec focused on capturing people in their working or living environment, and excelled at capturing crowd scenes featuring individualized characters – many of whom could be identified in silhouette (and with their names recorded when painted, can be identified today). At The Moulin Rouge, The Dance  His style was to simplify forms; use bright, flat colors that he intensified to relay emotion; and, to emphasize strong lines - not as an outline, but as a decoration or expression of movement, action and rhythm.  Influenced by both Impressionism and Art Nouveau, his bold art style was good for painting, sketching and lithography (posters).

 Impressionism – an art style that featured more informal subject matter painted in lighter and more colorful style than traditional paintings. Impressionism became popular in Paris in the 1860s with such artists as Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Edouard Manet.  These artists shared a similar view about the style of their paintings – presentation of light and color was more important than subject. Painting outside to capture changing light and popular scenery, paint was applied to the canvas in quick “broken-color”, or mini-brushstroke, technique and shapes weren’t defined. From a distance, the paint strokes and color merge to form a complete image.  Post-Impressionism followed Impressionism and is considered more a historical space in time for French art history ( ) than an actual cohesive movement in style of art. This is because while famous artists like Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Gustave Moreau, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin exhibited their work together, they began incorporating differences in individual painting styles.  Established artists like Degas, Renoir, Moreau began using strong and solid outlines and forms to express the design, structure and emotion of their subjects. Young artists like Lautrec and Van Gogh were more interested in using color to express the emotion and design of their subjects.  For Toulouse-Lautrec, the use of such techniques as oil thinned with turpentine allowed him to paint bright colors over loose, sketch-like brushwork that visibly the natural setting and emotions of the subject. bright colors over loose, sketch-like brushwork

 Art Nouveau is French for “new art” – and reflects a bold style popular from Influenced by Japanese wood-block prints, artists like Henri began incorporating these “curved lines, patterned surfaces, contrasting voids, and flatness of visual planes” into their work.  Lithographs – means “stone drawings” and was a 5-step print process that started with drawing on a hard, flat surface (historically limestone) with an oil-based material. The stone is then washed with water which the oil-based drawing will repel, leaving only the “negative” (blank) areas covered in water. Following, colored ink is rolled over the stone, adhering to the drawing but repelled by the water leaving. Finally, the stone is covered with paper and when pressure is applied, the oil-based drawing leaves a printed mirror image. The 5-step process is repeated for each additional color.5-step print process  Lautrec’s bold Post Impressionist art style, influenced by Degas and Japanese wood-block prints, was perfect for the design and printing of lithographic posters.  Learning the printing technique as he worked, Lautrec incorporated new innovations in lithography into commercial art posters (advertisements) that featured more colors, texture and were larger in size. His commercial posters became so popular, he established himself as the premier Paris poster artist. commercial art posters (advertisements

 Montmartre was a semi-rural, working-class district set on a hill outside central Paris. The neighborhood was known for it’s raucous spirit and revolutionary politics; distinct characteristics of old buildings set on steep, narrow streets with views of the metropolis below; and entertainment that included cabarets, circuses, and dance halls. Montmartredistinct characteristics of old buildings  Montmartre’s energetic lifestyle of bright colors, celebrity entertainers and cheap rents, attracted students, writers and established artists like Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Gustave Moreau, and young avant-garde artists like Henri, Van Gogh and Bernard lived the bohemian lifestyle, and captured it in their work.the bohemian lifestyle  Moulin Rouge (Red Mill) opened in 1889 and became one of the more famous cabarets in Montmartre. Attracting wealthier customers from Paris, it featured entertainment that included clowns, acrobats, tightrope walkers, singers, dancers and donkey rides. Moulin Rouge (Red Mill)  In 1891 the owner of Moulin Rouge persuaded Henri to design and print his first lithographic commercia l art – a poster designed to sell/advertise the cabaret and most famous dancer. 3,000 copies were printed and posted on walls across Paris.first lithographic  In addition to the poster, Lautrec would depict the Moulin Rouge, their celebrities, entertainment and guests in paintings, sketches and other posters.Moulin Rouge

 In his late 30’s Lautrec began suffering the life-threatening results of adult alcoholism and continued deterioration of his congenital health conditions.  In 1899, against Henri’s wishes, the Comtesse de Toulouse-Lautrec with the help of some of his friends, placed him in a clinic hoping to encourage him to stop drinking and begin managing his health. During his 11 week stay, to convince his doctor’s of his health, he produced a series of circus crayon drawings from memory.series of circus crayon drawings  Unfortunately, upon his release he began drinking again and over the next 2 years his health continued to deteriorate. Lautrec lived the last days of his life with his mother, often sketching and painting her in her garden.his mother  On 9 September 1901, at the age of 36 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s died in his mother’s arms. His last words were reported to be “Le vieux con!” (“The old fool!”).  Lautrec is buried in Verdelais, Gironde, a few miles from Chateau Malrome where he died. After his death, his mother & art dealer promoted his art. And, his mother created the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in his birthplace of Albie. the museum owns the largest collection of his works.

L autrec’s 1891 commercial poster promotes the Moulin Rouge with multiple mentions of the cabaret name, and the prominently featured can-can dancer ”La Goulue” (Louise Weber) – famous for her high Can-Can kick. T he poster featured bright, bold colors, multiple font types and abstract art, like the yellow globes for the electric lights, not seen before. O versized, the poster used 2 sheets of paper and 4 separate stones & ink – black, yellow, red & blue; additional colors were created by layering stones & the process of crachis (splattering/misting paint). L autrec’s Japanese wood block art influence is reflected through his use of bold colors; silhouetted and shadowed crowd; and color overlaying strong lines to depict the male guest.

L autrec used harsh lighting, unique perspectives to depict the atmosphere of Moulin Rouge. S hown from many angles, featured individuals include:  in the right corner, the performer with the odd green, glowing face that feels like she is looking right at you.  to the back, facing a mirror to pin her hair the performer La Goule.  at the café table sits a group of Lautrec’s friends, behind which Henri has depicted himself in silhouette.  In the left corner the viewer is kept separate from the action by the angled railing.

Two Riders on Horseback Pen and blue ink and graphite

Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh Post-Impressionism. Pastel Portrait of Emile Bernard Oil on Canvas. 1886

A Gala Evening At the Moulin Rouge Lithograph on Cream Wove Paper 1894

Coverage of the Original Print Art Nouveau – Advertisement

Le Chaine Simpson Advertisement for Simpson Lever Bicycle Chain 1891 La Vache Enragee (The Mad Cow) 1893

City of Paris Montmartre Street View c: 1901 Moulin Rouge 1890 vintage photo

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Photography c: 1891

Au Cirque: Le Pas espagnol (At the Circus: The Spanish Walk) Graphite, black and colored crayons, and charcoal 1899

Countess Adele de Toulouse Lautrec at breakfast Portrait 1891

1. Wikipedia 21, January Quote - Wikipedia Art; 21, January en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Impressionism 4. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History; Toulouse-Lautrec Smithsonian Magazine, Paul Trachtman, May 2005; culture/toulouse.html