HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901)!
Born on November 24, 1864, 160 years ago, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec grew up on the estate of his father Count Alphonse in southern France. However, the artist spent his adult life mainly in the Montmartre section of Paris which became an epicenter of arts and entertainment in the late 19th century. He is best known for his posters of the cabaret Moulin Rouge, in which his combination of creativity and advertising brought him fame.
Moulin Rouge: La Goulue was his first poster, commissioned by the owner of the establishment; some 3,000 hung on the walls of buildings throughout the city. In it, the two popular performers La Goulue (or “The Glutton” in English) and Valentin le Desosse demonstrate their exciting dancing style that drew crowds of customers on a regular basis.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge: La Goulue, 1891, Color lithograph on tan wove paper, Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison Collection, Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
Jane Avril, known for her elegance and grace, was another major attraction:
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril, 1893, Color lithograph on tan wove paper, Mr. and Mrs. Carter Harrison Collection, Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
Avril was also a long time friend of Toulouse-Lautrec and inspired a number of his works of art.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril, 1899, Color lithograph on tan wove paper, Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison Collection, Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
COMING TUESDAY: TOULOUSE-LAUTREC CONTINUED
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