Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (November 24, 1864 - September 9, 1901) was a renowned 19th-century French poster artist and painter. He was born in Albi, France to Alphonse and Adèle who were first cousins. Both of his femurs were fractured during his teens, a condition that contributed to his health problems. He would therefore find solace in the world of art and took up sketching before he reached adolescence. He honed his craft during his long periods of recuperation from health issues. In the early 1870s, Toulouse attended the Lycée Fontanes in Paris for a time, and later studied with John Lewis Brown and René Princetau. These two artists focused on animal portraiture and therefore influenced some of Toulouse’s artwork later in his career. Toulouse decided to study under Léon Bonnat in 1882, before working under Fernand Cormon the following year.
Toulouse went on to create innovations in lithograph drawing and became highly famed for his posters. He was influenced by Edgar Degas, a Japanese Impressionist and also by Japanese styles. Toulouse created works mainly on canvas but also chose to display his artwork in the more popular medium of posters. This made him to become a highly sought after artist for his unique style. Framed Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec art are highly priced by many collectors. Some of his notable works include The Streetwalker and At the Moulin Rouge. Toulouse got into heavy drinking and since he was also suffering from various illnesses, he died at the age of 36.