Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, November 24, 1864–September 9, 1901, was a French painter, draftsman, printmaker and illustrator. Born in Albi into an aristocratic family, he developed an early interest in drawing during long periods of illness and convalescence.

He received early guidance from animal painter René Princeteau, then studied in Paris with Léon Bonnat and Fernand Cormon. In Cormon’s studio he met artists including Émile Bernard and Vincent van Gogh; after settling in Montmartre, he worked closely with performers, theater managers, publishers and printers.

Toulouse-Lautrec produced paintings, drawings, lithographs and posters centered on Parisian theaters, cafés, dance halls and brothels. Major holdings of his work are in the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Musée d’Orsay and National Gallery of Art.

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