Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec is recognized around the world as an important Post-Impressionist painter, illustrator, and lithographer. He is best known for his works depicting scenes from cabarets, theaters, dance halls, and brothels of late 19^th-century bohemian Paris. These were themes that the artist lived, beginning in 1885 when he moved to Montmartre and immersed himself in its nightlife.

Toulouse-Lautrec wanted to show life as it is, not as it should be, but this objectivity was not without empathy or humor. His interest lay in portraying people, not only those he met during his nights on the town, but also his friends and the working-class citizens of Paris. He was a hard-working artist, producing an enormous body of work in a wide range of media.

Lautrec made 30 advertising posters in his lifetime, but also illustrated theater programs, book covers, menus, invitations, and sheet music. His expressive use of lines found the perfect medium in lithography. He never made a distinction between commercial and fine art.

The collection includes some of the best-known images of this great artist with a total of 25 large posters, some before the advertising letters, prints, and drawings (including double-sided drawings), a rare lithographic stone, book illustrations, a number of vintage photos from the estate of his mother, including one taken by his friend Alfred Natanson with the artist sleeping and another intimate series of 4 photographs of the artist by his other friend Maurice Joyant, a series of very personal snapshots taken of Lautrec in ‘compromising positions’ wraps up this extensive collection of more than 300 original artworks.

Alsο included are 15 framed poignant handwritten letters of Lautrec to his mother and grandmother touching such interesting topics as requesting money to pay for his rent, comments of Degas after visiting his studio, seeking the address of Yvette Guilbert to send her a painting and other interesting insights to his Parisian life.  Other letters are to his printer, suppliers, etc. providing an interesting glimpse at the daily routine of the artist.