Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

1864 - 1901

French (Albi, France - Langon, France)

When we think of Paris at the end of the nineteenth century we think of Toulouse-Lautrec’s images of the bohemian lifestyle he portrayed. Setting himself apart from the Impressionists and Nabis, Toulouse-Lautrec’s work is more expressionistic with his superb graphic sensibility and eye-catching shapes. One of the most beloved of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, his works are in every major museum in the world. He is consistently acclaimed as one of the finest printmakers of the era during which he served as the bridge between nineteenth century vanguard painting and early 20th century experimental approaches. A disciple of Degas, he closely, even intensely, studied his favorite subjects: cafes, theatres, and cabarets. Toulouse-Lautrec is known along with Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin as one of the greatest painters, printmakers, and illustrators of the Post-Impressionist period. This piece is the cover art for a song sheet that Lautrec created in 1895 or 1896. The song title is Les Papillons, or “The Butterflies.” It was in the 5th of 16 images Lautrec created for a series of sheet music by Desire Dihau; the series was titled Melodies de Desire Dihau. Dihau was a well-known Parisian bassoon player and friend of Lautrec.