Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

A visual report by Kevin Buglewicz

GRPH 221 // Spring 2015

Table of Contents

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Background

Period Study:

Socioeconomic & Cultural Status

Selected Works

Visual Traits & Overall Style

Legacy

References

4 | Henri de Toulouse Lautrec

Background

On November 24, 1864, Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa was born amidst the Pyrenees Mountains of southwest France to two poor descendants of the Counts of Toulouse.

His parents were together cousins, and their practices of inbreeding ultimately resulted in several health-related problems for Toulouse-Lautrec in life. Most notable of these problems is pycnodysostosis (also known as Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome) which keeps broken bones from healing quickly, and is the cause of his less-than-substantial stature.

Toulouse-Lautrec was known to have lived two lives. The first was his life of fun: spending time in theaters, dance halls, and engaging with prostitutes. The other life was one he hated. The one involving protecting his family’s reputation, and pleasing his parents and critics.

In an effort to (1) celebrate the life he enjoyed, and (2) criticize the life he deplored, Toulouse-Lautrec turned to art. He moved to Montmartre, France to gain insight in the budding artistic scene, and began working. After some time, his work began to spread, most notably in issues of the magazine Le Rire during the mid-1890s and his advertising work for the 1889 Paris World Fair.

Had his work continued, Toulouse-Lautrec would surely have become one of the most prolific artists of his era. Unfortunately, due to his poor health, he died of syphilis at a mere 34 years-of-age.

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At his most mature, Toulouse-Lautrec just barely stood over 5-feet-tall.

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Period Study:

Socioeconomic & Cultural Status

• Late 1800s

• Transition between old and new

• “The Era of More”

• Early signs of industrial revolution

• Dazzling images, advertisements

• “Banquet Years of Paris”

• Artists put themselves & their opinions in art - T.L. was extremely outlandish

• Revolt against conventionalism

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Party In The Moulin Rouge

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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

SELECTEDWORKS

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec | 9

The Laundress (1889)

NOT DESIGNThe workers of Moulin Rouge

Part of a series - very realistic

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Aristide Bruant in his cabaret (1892)

Comedian, singer, etc.

handwritten typography

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Moulin Rouge: La Goulue (1891)

color lithograph3000+ copies

perhaps most famous for Moulin Rouge

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Reine de Joie (1892)

Book advertisement

handwritten typography

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Avril (Jane Avril) (1893)

Performance Advertisement

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Visual Style

Technically, the style of art portrayed in most of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work can be considered Post-Impressionist painter, art nouveau, or simply reflecting the Bohemian lifestyle of France in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

VIBRANT COLORS

VARIED LINE WEIGHT

HAND-DRAWN TYPE

MODELS = ACQUAINTANCES

GLAMOUR STRIPPED AWAY

CROWDS WITH INDIVIDUALS

Toulouse-Lautrec’s work was also known to have reflected his personal well-being and mood at the time of creation. Particular when he was ravaged with alcoholism, his work appears more fragile as a result.

One thing to note is that despite the fact that Toulouse-Lautrec’s work was distributed publicly as advertising, information, etc., he created each and every piece from an artistic standpoint. Every single work he created was personally meant to be used as a legitimate piece of art. The fact that the images served alternative purposes is purely coincidence.

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Legacy

737 canvases275 watercolors,363 prints and posters5,084 drawings

Toulouse-Lautrec was one of the most outlandish artists in all history. Paying no attention to societal expectations, he created art from a completely objective standpoint. This served as a very valuable lesson for artists who followed in his footsteps.

The most important thing designers today can take away from the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is that truly valuable graphic design does not have to rely on computers. We can all improve by returning to the bare bones, and hone in our motor art skills, such as drawing and painting. By mastering these trades, artists can excel even better as graphic designers.

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Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri De, Nora Desloge, Phillip Dennis. Cate, and Julia Bloch Frey. Toulouse-Lautrec: The Baldwin M. Baldwin Collection, San Diego Museum of Art. San Diego: Museum, 1988. Print.

Smith, Mikey. “Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec: The French Painter’s 10 Most Famous Works and Facts about His Life.” Mirror. N.p., 24 Nov. 2014. Web. Feb. 2015.

“Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec - The Complete Works.” Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec - The Complete Works. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb. 2015.

Iskin, Ruth. The Poster: Art, Advertising, Design, and Collecting, 1860s-1900s: Dartmouth College, n.d. Print.

References