Toulouse-Lautrec

In our imaginings of Paris, painter and graphic artist <strong>Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec</strong> (1864-1901) has no small role to play. In his prints, posters, paintings, and drawings, the artist <strong>immortalized the city's Belle Epoque nightlife</strong> and <strong>put the northern neighborhood of Montmartre on the global map of creative-hedonist hotspots.</strong>

The son of old French nobility, Toulouse-Lautrec seems to have been drawn early on to visions of a demimonde, centering his attention on the <strong>dance halls, cabarets, and brothels </strong>of Montmartre and adopting <strong>famed dancers and singers</strong> as his subjects, most notably Jane Avril. His works include both lively performance scenes and quiet, tender "after-hours" portraits such as <em>The Sofa</em> and <em>In Bed. </em>Stylistically, he mastered <strong>both bold graphics, as celebrated in his promotional posters of Jane Avril, and a loose yet evocative sketchwork</strong>.

Though he died aged just 36, due to complications from alcoholism and syphilis, Toulouse-Lautrec's cultural influence was immense. This introductory book takes a walk through his world of singers, dancers, musicians, and prostitutes to reveal an artist of <strong>great humanity, striking figurative skill, and a pronounced sense for the energy and stories of a city</strong>.