The Life and Works of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Toulouse-Lautrec, despite his physical handicaps and later by alcoholism, managed to create his own instantly recognizable style and his unique way to invoke a world that was full of jollity and humor. The paper points out that Toulouse-Lautrec stands out in graphic art; even today, his lithographs and posters are still being copied. The author believes that, since Rembrandt, Lautrec was maybe the most unforgettable artistic character, a status acknowledged years earlier by novelists and the film industry.

From the Paper:

"Moreover, he was amazingly open to the unorthodox kinds of commission that his graphic success won him. He illustrated songs for music publishers, art exhibitions, theater programs, confetti, menus for friends, designing posters for books, journals, plays, cafe and theater stars, ordinary products as domestic furnishings, printing ink and bicycle chains. All these posters were effectively a form of anti academic propaganda. Thus, by taking this work to the street, he was involved in a delicate but classic form of revolution that turned out to be more real than the exhibitions and salons of the avant-garde ever were."

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