Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French Post-Impressionist painter known for his pictures of the seamy underside of belle epoque Paris nightlife. The painter produced oil paintings, drawings, lithographs and Art Nouveau posters. He lived and painted in the bohemian section of Paris known as Montmartre amid the picturesque brothels, cabarets, cafes and theaters. Toulouse-Lautrec stood 4 1/2 feet tall as a result of a congenital disorder and a childhood accident.
Prostitutes
Toulouse-Lautrec preferred to use prostitutes as his female models. He painted them in varying states of undress at their toiletry or lounging about the brothel. The Salon in the Rue des Moulins I from 1894 is one of his most famous works. The main figure's black stockings starkly contrast with the next figure's snow-white dress. The picture features precise drawing with loosely painted visible brush strokes. The focal points are the outrageously colored red and orange hair of his six models.
Moulin Rouge
The painter was drawn to the Moulin Rouge cabaret with its can-can dancers and clientele that ranged from aristocracy to the dregs of society. Toulouse-Lautrec executed many pictures of its colorful and animated dancers. At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance from 1889 is dominated by a woman in pink wearing a lavish yellow feathered hat. The eye is drawn into the painting by touches of red and orange that contrast with the overall bluish color of the picture.
Portraits
Toulouse-Lautrec also made some psychologically penetrating portraits of his friends and acquaintances. His portrait of fellow painter Emil Bernard from 1886 is a famous example. Toulouse-Lautrec used typically loose Post-Impressionist brushwork, but still managed to capture the fine details of Bernard's hair and facial features. The 1887 portrait of his friend Vincent Van Gogh was painted in bright, contrasting complementary colors. Toulouse painted intimate portraits of a female friend in La Pierreuse Gabrielle and Portrait of Gabrielle in the 1890s.
Figure Studies
Toulouse-Lautrec was a master of the figure study. La Toilette from 1896 focused on a red-haired woman's bare back, seen from behind. The painting features contrasting complementary colors juxtaposed to increase their chromatic intensity. The Medical Inspection from 1894 highlighted the white skin of two model against a bright red-orange background. The Two Girlfriends, which was painted around the same time, is delicately drawn and boldly painted with expressive brushstrokes.
