This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| Please note: Artists not classified as American in our database may have limited biographical data
compared to the extensive information about American artists.
 Henri Toulouse-Lautrec became one of France's most prominent
Post-Impressionist
painters and capturing the night life of part of the city, was
described as "the soul of Montmartre." He also did a number of
illustrations for the
magazine Le Rire during the 1890s's.
Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi, France, in the mid-Pyranees
region. He was the first child of a Count and Countess whose
aristocratic lineage dated back over a thousand years but whose
fortune had collapsed before he was born. At birth, they gave him
the full name of Henri Marie Raymond
de Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa. The parents were first cousins, and
credited to
inbreeding were the many birth defects that Henri suffered including an
osteoporosis condition that left him with weak bones that did not heal
properly when his legs were fractured when he was ages 13 and
14. In adulthood, he was only four feet and six inches in
height, although his torso was fully developed. Growing up, he
was unable to
participate in normal activities, so he turned to art expression.
Toulouse-Lautrec moved to Paris in 1882 in order to learn from artists
by working with them in their studios. He was especially
impressed with Impressionist painter and sculptor Edgar Degas.
Lautrec's subjects were primarily the bohemian world of Montmartre, the
city's quarter where he lived and the area that had a mix that
included starving' artists, actors,
actresses, singers and dancers such as La Goulue who created the Can
Can and performed at the Moulin Rouge. It was also the location
of racetracks, dancehalls and many bars and brothels, likely the places
where he, a frequent visitor, got the syphilis that
along with excessive alcohal consumption added to his health problems
and caused his death. He partied and sketched the nightlife, and
in the daytime, converted his sketches into paintings and
lithographs.
Shortly before he died on September 9, 1901at the age of 36, he was put
in a sanatorium after his highly protective mother was unable to keep
him at home. He is buried in Malromé at his family's estate, and
he is buried in Verdelais, Gironde, close to his death place. The
Comtesse Adéle Toulouse-Lautrec, his mother, and his dealer, Maurice
Joyant, worked hard after his death to keep his name alive and promote
his artwork. Because of their efforts, a museum in Albi was built
in his honor. Two movies titled Moulin Rouge are about his life.
Sources include:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_de_Toulouse-Lautrec
WebMuseum, Paris http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/toulouse-lautrec/
artelino-Art Auctions: http://www.artelino.com/articles/toulouse_lautrec.asp
|
| ** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@AskART.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|