HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
19th century French painter, printmaker, and caricaturist Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec depicted humanistic, realistic women. He often captured sex workers in moments beyond their usual profession, assigning them powerful emotions other than eroticism. He created elegant, yet provocative images of Paris’ affairs thanks to his immersion in the city’s colorful and theatrical life. Toulouse-Lautrec was influenced by Japanese styles and Impressionist Edgar Degas. Toulouse-Lautrec was born into aristocracy. His parents were cousins, both products and participants of inbreeding, which caused health issues for Toulouse-Lautrec and his siblings. Toulouse-Lautrec primarily suffered from pycnodysostosis, which caused his shortened legs and forced him to walk with a cane. Others would ridicule him for his size which, among other traumatic issues, led him find solace in art. He honed his craft during moments of recuperations. He eventually became an alcoholic and drank himself to death, leaving behind 700 paintings, 350 prints, and 5,000 drawings. His painting La Blanchisseuse sold for $22.4 million in 2005, setting a record!
