Posters and Prints of Toulouse-Lautrec

Once he left Cormon’s studio, Toulouse-Lautrec became engrossed in commercial art in addition to his paintings. He lived in the Montmartre section of Paris, the center of cabaret entertainment and the bohemian life that he loved to depict in his work. He frequented circuses, cafés, cabarets, racetracks, clubs, and ballrooms, immersing himself in the world of singers, dancers, actors, and prostitutes. He would sit at a crowded nightclub table, laughing, drinking, making swift sketches. The next morning in his studio he would turn the sketches into paintings and prints.

In all he created 30 posters, as well as numerous lithographic prints. All his work shows his incredibly fertile imagination that fueled his sympathetic and accurate observation of “ordinary” people. With great insight into human nature, he observed and documented the personalities and other facets of Parisian night life and modern culture of the 1890s. His first poster, "La Goulue" of the Moulin Rouge, stunned viewers with its unique somber appeal. Somber, that is, in comparison to the blithe and airy "Cheréttes" (the work by Jules Cherét) they had been used to. Realistic. Not sentimental in the slightest. By the time he created his third poster, "Reine de Joie," he had eclipsed the former “Father of the Poster,” Jules Cherét, in talent, skill, and mastery of the art form.

The Influence of Japanese Art

Toulouse-Lautrec developed a vibrant artistic style that captured the lives and gestures of the entertainers, their audiences, the people he surrounded himself with. His style was greatly influenced by the Japanese woodblock print art that was all the rage in Paris. He owned a considerable collection of Japanese art and block prints, and its influence on his work is unmistakeable. Indeed, Toulouse-Lautrec used more elements of the Japanese style than any other artist.

These influences include most especially a strong use of line, hence his reputation as a superb draftsman. Contrasting curves and angles and expressive outlines suggested feeling. Modeling and shadows were shown without strong contrast of dark and light but instead through ingenious use of line. He often used silhouettes and flat masses of color, more evidence of influence by Japanese prints. He used unusual perspectives, often making the eye level more than halfway up the print, and setting a composition dramatically off-center. Decorative elements were incorporated without destroying the realistic aspect of his work, often used to set a mood. For example, he might turn

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