Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

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Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa was born to an aristocratic family in Albi, the South of France. During the recuperation period caused by two accidents of breaking his legs, he developed a tremendous passion for drawing and painting. Because the bones never healed properly, he reached a height of only 4 ½ feet as an adult, a source of great embarrassment for the artist.

Lautrec ventured to Paris in 1882 to study academic art, but much to his parent’s chagrin, he lived in the bohemian circle of the Montmartre. He became friends with many of the celebrities of the day, in the cabarets, cafes and dance clubs. While he was drinking and talking with friends, he created many sketches of his surroundings, which later were used as inspiration for his art works. His art soon attracted a great deal of attention.
Due to numerous health issues, which were aggravated by the artist’s alcoholism, Toulouse-Lautrec’s health declined quickly while in his early 30’s and he died at the age of 36, in 1901.

Today, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s work is part of collection in every major museum in the world and his tremendous influence in the evolution of Western art is undisputed.