Henri de Toulouse Lautrec

As I am designing a poster for a vintage party, I thought it would be a good idea to study an artist that is famously known for their older-style paintings and designs. I have always been fascinated with Henri de Toulouse Lautrec's work, so I am going to study his paintings in depth so I can gain a little more knowledge about the way he works, and the techniques behind it.

A brief history.

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was born in France, 1864. At the age of 13, he broke his right thigh bone. The break never healed so he grew up with a unknown genetic disorder - nowadays called the 'Toulouse-Lautrec syndrome.' Unable to play any sports, he began to immerse himself in the world of art, and stayed painting for the rest of his life. In 1892, the Moulin Rouge opened. Henri was commissioned to paint some posters advertising the cabaret. In 1901, he died from alcohol overdose. After his death, his mother contributed funds to allow his paintings to be stored in Alibi, where there are more of his paintings than any where else in the world. 

The Moulin Rouge.

The hall that Toulouse painted in this painting is still around today. It's built in Paris, where Henri spend most of his time (he couldn't speak a lot of English). He used to sit and watch the dancers, and painted them while they were moving. This is why most of his paintings are messy, rushed and busy. Because of his deformity Henri liked to be around people who were also judged, like clowns and woman. 

Jane Avril (the lady in the painting above) was one of the dancers at the Moulin Rouge. Avril was abused as a child, lived a life of poverty and was diagnosed with a movement disorder. As I said earlier, Henri preferred to be with other people that are judged, so he began to get to know Avril quite well and remained friends until they died. 

Many of Henri's paintings became posters, but the one below never did. He did this painting only weeks before he suffered a breakdown. In this painting, the serpent is winding itself around Avril's dress as she screams and raises her arms. The original is currently being held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. On the right is my version of the painting. I did this in pencil. 

My version of the painting

Jane Avril, 1899 (Lithograph)

Jane at the Jardin de Paris.

Jane at the Jardin de Paris

This was a poster designed to promote one of Avrils dances. It was a massive hit, and many different versions were made. The composition is interesting in this painting, the bottom right corner is a neck of a double bass in the orchestra. Frantz Jourdain, a contempry critic wrote '... like a sad and pained bird, Jane Avril dances or, rather, hops. Her weary, slender body looses itself in the volume of her red and yellow dress, (while) a very distinctive facial expression, framed by her hair, gives the dancer an inexpressible London strangeness.' Below is Henri's first sketch of Avril. I noticed some changes from the sketch to the painting. Her arm has been reduced to a thin black line which means Henri worked on the sketch and tried to make it better. The busy lines suggest he painted from direct observation.

           

My attempt at painting the 'Jane at Jardin de Paris'

Henri's sketch

Technique.

Henri used lithography to create and print his posters. One of his artworks, 'L'estampe Originale' shows his work being printed, while Jane Avril stands by, checking the newly printed work. 

Definition of Lithography - Lithography originally used an image drawn (etched) into a coating of wax or an oily substance applied to a plate of lithographic stone as the medium to transfer ink paper sheet, and so produce a printed page.' 

An example of lithography stone

To create a poster, limestone was needed, and the ground had to be either smooth or rough, depending on how the artist wanted the final piece to turn out. Henri liked his stone smooth because in most of his work, he uses very detailed, thin lines, which wouldn't come out as good if he used a rough stone. Inks and crayon-like sticks were used to draw directly onto the stones surface. The inks would be painted on using a brush or pen. Henri preferred this way of painting because he could create much more detailed paintings and cleaner lines. Once the image was painted onto the stone, it was wiped with a liquid called 'etch' which made the image bond tightly to the stones surface. The parts of the stone that hadn't been painted on with the ink formed a hydrophilic coating, which resisted ink, but attracted water. This would create the blank parts of the painting. After etching, the artist would wipe the stone in water which coated the blank areas. Then, an oil-based ink was applied with rollers, and the ink or crayon would attract itself to the oil-based ink. Effects could be created using this technique such a Henri's favorite, 'crachis,' which is an airbrushing effect. This is created by using a cob over an ink-dipped toothbrush, causing little droplets of ink to splatter on the page. This effect can be seen in Henri's painting, 'Au Concert'.

Au Concert

Troupe de Mlle Eglantine

My version of Troupe de Mlle Eglantine

http://www.personal.psu.edu/ams5626/ass6.html
http://www.allposters.co.uk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/stone-lithography.htm
http://www.theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/toulouse-lautrec-and-jane-avril-beyond-moulin-rouge-courtauld-gallery
Millers Collecting Prints and Posters: A collection's guide (Millers Publications; illustrated edition (16 Oct 1997)
The Art Book - Phaido
501 Great Artists - Stephan Farthing (Apple press (1 Mar 2009))
http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/vodcasts/2011/toulouse-lautrec.shtml