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| "Carmen Gaudin" (detail) Oil on Canvas, 52.9 x 40.8 cm Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 1884 |
We all know the artist Toulouse-Lautrec for his avant garde posters and his depictions of black-stockinged prostitutes. But I have just seen a wonderful exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris that introduced me to another side of his work. The exhibit places Lautrec in the line of “expressive realism”, alongside Manet and Degas. His portraits are far from the caricatures we think of when we think of his posters.
Early in his career, Lautrec studied in the Parisian atelier of Fernan Cormon, along with fellow student Van Gogh. His friendship with Van Gogh must have been the impetus for the portrait above. The portraits are beautifully crafted, and their colors so delicately and sensitively noted.
Besides admiring Lautrec's portraits, I was especially taken by his drawings. Like so many artists, he was constantly sketching and drawing. It was a way of capturing life and honing his skills. In fact, draftsmanship always underlies his work.
I loved the way the exhibit highlighted the way that Lautrec evolved to become more and more concise. Over time, his work began to emphasize the simple gesture, and the primary emotion of his subject--sometimes even leaving the impression that the canvas was unfinished. He could convey so much with selected features, and just a few marks of color! You can see how his move toward concision and selectivity paved the way to his posters, which are masterpieces of those traits.
Some of his paintings toe the line between paintings and drawings. They were some of my favorites. I'm including a few here--enjoy!
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| "Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh" Crayon on Carton, 57 x 46 cm Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1887 |
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| Henri Toulouse-Lautrec |
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| Henri Toulouse-Lautrec |
I loved the way the exhibit highlighted the way that Lautrec evolved to become more and more concise. Over time, his work began to emphasize the simple gesture, and the primary emotion of his subject--sometimes even leaving the impression that the canvas was unfinished. He could convey so much with selected features, and just a few marks of color! You can see how his move toward concision and selectivity paved the way to his posters, which are masterpieces of those traits.
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| "Yvette Guilbert" Oil n paper, mounted on canvas, 58 x 44 cm Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1894 |
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| "Femme se Frisant" Oil on Carton, 56 x 39 cm Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 1884 |
If you are lucky enough to visit Paris this winter, the exhibit runs until January 27, 2020. Worth seeing!
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