"Born in Albi, France on November 24, 1864, Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec was the son and heir of Comte Alphonse-Charles de Toulouse, an aristocratic family dating back one thousand years. Always a sickly child, Toulouse-Lautrec began drawing at age ten; then broke one leg at age twelve and the other at age fourteen, which stunted the growth of his legs while his body developed nor...see more »mally. His full height was 1.5 meters or less than five feet tall, which had a debilitating effect on his health, both physically and mentally for the rest of his life. To compensate while coping with his injuries, he concentrated on his art and received painting and drawing lessons from Rene Princeteau. In 1882, at age 18, Toulouse-Lautrec moved to Paris to the Montmartre region, known for its bohemian lifestyle that the young artist fully embraced. The area's cabarets, circuses, dance halls and nightclubs suited his need to submerge himself in his art and he participated heavily in the activities to be found in these surroundings. He frequently would be a participant in the activities of these establishments and could be seen drawing and sketching while drinking and enjoying the camaraderie of his friends. The following day he would transform his sketches into paintings. His "Moulin Rouge" series of paintings are among the most popular. Toulouse-Lautrec was heavily influenced by Japanese woodblock prints known as Ukiyo-e, as well as the work of fellow impressionist artists of his time, such as Degas. He exhibited his first paintings in the cafes of Montmartre and began to attract attention and get his first commissions. His lithographs of the singers, dancers and poets who were friends of his known as the Belle Epoch were becoming more popular; many of them advertisements for theater billboards or illustrations for magazines. He created more than 350 lithographs and nine drypoint prints during this time. As his popularity grew for his paintings and his woodblock prints, the artist's descent into alcoholism increased and he spent most of his time in bars. He drank because he was afraid of being ridiculed for his size. In the 1890s his drinking began to affect his health and he entered a sanatorium, but he was never able to escape his addiction to alcohol. On September 9, 1901, Toulouse-Lautrec died at his mother's home at the age of 36. His paintings can be found in galleries and museums around the world."« see less
Sue J. of Iowa says:
"Hello. The framed print arrived and I like it very much. Nice job on the matting. It is beautiful. Thank you, Suzanne"