Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 - 1901)

Seeing things that other men did not see

Because of his drafting of promotional imagery for the Moulin Rouge (a Parisian nightclub) Toulouse-Lautrec is often referred to as the father of the modern poster. Such descriptions undersell Lautrec’s influence for as his poster’s show, there was far more depth to his eye that mere advertising. Lautrec’s true legacy was in revealing the truth behind the festive mask; a quest for truth that would later preoccupy movie makers dealing with prostitution and drug use almost a century later. In regards to his work, Lautrec said

“I’ve simply tried to tell the truth, not to idealize”.

He also told performer Yvette Guilbert:

"I do not detail you. I totalize you."

The desire for truth made his role as an advertisement illustrator somewhat ironic considering advertisements sell idealisation.

One of his most famous posters, designed to entice patrons to the Moulin Rouge, revealed his bias towards the truth. In the centre of the stage, a woman dances while shadowy figures look on. Towards the viewer’s eye, a shadowed man, wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar, holds out a large hand as if preparing to grope the woman. More truth could be seen in drawings women who danced for men being intimate with each other in bed, or exhausted dancers recovering back stage.

Moulin Rouge: La Goulue - (1891)

Detractors criticised Lautrec’s work as glorifying the sordid and the obscene. Such detractors misread his work for although he showed the sights of the night, he also showed the sights that other men do not want to see.

Interests in the problems of others perhaps stemmed from Lautrec seeking people to empathise with as he dealt with problems in his own life. As the son of a French aristocrat, Lautrec was born into a life of privilege, but it was soured by a birth deformity that left his bones brittle. Frequent breakages in his legs stunted his growth had left him only 4 feet high. On the surface, he maintained a festive face, but behind it was a depression that he tried to drown in alcohol.

He seemed to have an attraction for the downcast. Some of these were the nightclub dancers. Some were other artists. Vincent van Gogh seemed to hold a special attraction to him. Whereas many other artists wanted as little to do with Vincent as possible, Lautrec made him feel welcome at his studio. Additionally, when the artist Henry De Groux publicly insulted Vicent’s work, Lautrec challenged him to duel.

If there is a message to be gained from Lautrec's work, it is that sometimes it is worth looking beyond the obvious. This may be to consider what thoughts and feelings may exist behind the smiling face of a nightclub dancer, or the artist that seems to be glorifying the scene.

Woman on toilet

The Two Girlfriends (1894)

Toulouse-Lautrec often depicted lesbians. He had probably seen that many women who performed for men actually didn’t like men.